Snowflake
by CopperSunsetx
Summary: Candice is completely happy with her relationship with Volkner. But when the Sinnoh Pokemon League decides to take a little trip to Hoenn, a gym leader toys with her emotions, her friendships and relationship now in question. Now with bonus chapters!
1. Chapter 1: Mingling Face

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SenirasuShipping has recently become my guilty pleasure. I've always liked Volker-that boy is extremely attractive. Plus, he's so much fun to write about. Candice, I also love. She's so bubbly and full of life. Paired with Volkner, in my opinion, they make the cutest pair.

**Opposites attract, right?**

**The whole idea for the summary/title completely changed when I used this one word.**

**Summary: **When Cynthia suggests the Sinnoh Pokemon League take a vacation to Hoenn, Candice is excited. Travelling to a new region with her best friends and her boyfriend Volkner? She can't wait. When she meets one of the gym leaders, however, the alias of 'Snowflake' is the only thing keeping her friendships and relationship from spiraling.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon. You should probably know this. But lawsuits aren't fun.**

* * *

Candice returned her final Pokémon to its PokéBall, looking at the petite pink-haired fighter with a grin.

"Alright, I'm ready." She said, pulling on her teal sweater.

"I'm not. I don't wanna go back out into the cold…" Maylene whined.

Candice giggled, stepping out of her gym and walking into the cold, frigid air, ankle deep snow, and the air ripping through Candice's short skirt.

"I don't understand how you can live here." Maylene shivered, hugging her body for warmth. The two girls walked towards the Pokémon Center, a harsh wind slapping against their bodies. Maylene shivered more violently, practically sprinting inside the Pokémon Center. Candice giggled, following close behind.

"Couldn't handle the cold?" She said, taking off her sweater and tying it around her waist.

"I love you Candice, really, but I hate your city. Why did you suggest having the meeting _here_, and not, I dunno, Sunyshore? My bare feet don't mind sand and sunshine…" Maylene said, wiggling her rosy colored toes. Candice smiled, "I wanted it here to make you suffer."

"Fuck you, too."

They walked up to the counter, Nurse Joy pointing them to an escalator going downwards. They got on it, three closed doors in front of them. Unsure of which room the meeting was in, Candice hesitantly opened the middle door, and there were the other six gym leaders, the Elite Four members, and the champion Cynthia at the head of the long table. On one side sat the first four gym leaders—Roark, Gardenia, Fantina, Wake—and the first two Elite Four members—Aaron and Bertha. On the opposite side sat Byron, Volkner, Flint, and Lucian, two empty chairs on both sides of Byron. Embarrassed by their tardiness, Maylene & Candice quickly took their seats, nodding to Cynthia as acknowledgment.

Cynthia continued to talk, discussing strategy and number of Pokémon in a party, but Candice wasn't listening. She turned her attention to the blond sitting next to her, smiling warmly. Volkner smirked at her, resting his elbows on the table. They continued their eye candy the whole time Cynthia talked.

"Also, I was talking to the champion of Hoenn, Steven, and we both thought it would be fun to travel down to Hoenn and meet with their Pokémon League."

Candice and Volkner broke eye contact, now paying attention to their boss.

"…So, what are we gonna do down there?" Roark asked.

"Well, since Steven said they had already met the other Pokémon Leagues, they needed to meet us, too; so we're all on good terms with one another. You might make some new friends, you never know." Cynthia shrugged.

The room was quiet, people sending glances to one another, uncertain looks meeting Cynthia's content face.

"I think that sounds like fun." Flint spoke up, different sets of eyes looking at him, "We all deserve a vacation."

Everyone agreed, making Cynthia crack a smile. "Excellent. We'll be down there for about five days, so report to Canalave City to depart on Saturday at noon. We should get there by Sunday afternoon. Clear?"

The group nodded.

Cynthia smiled, "Perfect. Meeting adjourned."

Everyone began to flood out of the room, different conversations filling the air. Candice, Maylene, Volkner, and Flint were the first people out, already on the top floor of the Pokémon Center.

"What's the point of going to Hoenn?" Maylene said, sitting down on a chair in the lobby.

"I dunno, we're all stronger than them anyway." Candice said, sitting down next to her pink haired friend.

"Oh, c'mon, at least be somewhat excited. How long has it been since you've left Sinnoh? It'll be an experience!" Flint said.

"And how long has it been since you didn't kiss Cynthia's ass?"

Three heads shot up in Volkner's direction, who casually stuffed his hands into his pocket, a blank expression on his face. The girls laughed, while Flint narrowed his eyes at his friend. Maylene stood up, fixing her training pants and sighing. "I better get going, I probably have a bunch of trainers lined up in front of my gym. I'll see you guys on Saturday." The other three waved goodbye as Maylene walked back out into the deep snow, running away from the Pokémon Center.

"I should probably go, too. Yanno, being the hotshot Elite Four member I am, I have important things to get to."

"Like going home to your little brother and sitting around doing nothing?"

Flint looked back at Volkner, glaring coldly. "I have no idea why I still talk to you." He turned back to Candice, smiling innocently, "Bye, Candice." He walked out of the Pokémon Center, leaving only Candice & Volkner. Candice stood up, walking towards the doors, motioning Volkner to follow. He did, straggling behind the raven haired gym leader. She reached her gym, pushing opening the doors, letting herself & Volkner in. Volkner walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close, Candice giggling. She turned around, still in his arms, looking into his electric blue eyes. Volkner locked her into an electrifying kiss, not hesitating to slide his tongue in, invading the moist cavern of his girlfriend's mouth. Candice kissed him back, her fingers wrapping around the fibers of his jacket. Volkner's hands lightly ran up and down her back, warm fingers meeting cold skin. Candice pulled back, her bright, chocolate eyes blinking as she blushed, giggling nervously.

"Jeez, it's impossible not to touch you during those things." Volkner cooed softly, nipping at her cartilage. Candice gasped softly, more nervous giggles spilling out. Oh, Arceus, how much he loved her laugh. It made him feel so happy, but even better that he caused it.

Candice wiggled out of his loving embrace, causing Volkner to pout. "I gotta start packing for that trip." Candice said, walking towards a flight of stairs against an ice blue wall. Like a lost puppy, Volkner followed.

Candice walked down a narrow hall, pushing opening the last door on the right, revealing her white bedroom.

"Taking me to your chamber? I didn't think you wanted it _that_bad…" Volkner teased. Candice slapped him in the arm playfully, blushing. She went to her closet and pulled out a suitcase, flinging it on her bed.

"Are you looking forward to the trip?" Candice said, pushing the suitcase aside and sitting on the bed. Volkner sat next to her, arm wrapping around her hips.

"I guess so. It'll just be another place to stand in the corner and listen to Flint chatter about anything."

Candice sighed, "Why not make it a place to get out of your shell? You're like a Squirtle, Volk."

"I'm super effective against those."

Candice rolled her eyes, "You're making friends. That's final." She got up off the bed, giving him a stern look. Volkner smirked, nodding, "Alright, alright, fine."

"That means your loner reputation doesn't follow to Hoenn."

"I understand, _mom_."

Candice groaned, his humor beginning to irritate her. Around the Pokémon League, he kept his mouth shut. Around Candice, she _wished_ he kept his mouth shut.

Volkner got up off the bed, quickly bringing Candice into another embrace, "I'm gonna go. I'll see you on Saturday?"

"Bring your mingling face." Candice grinned. Volkner rolled his eyes, kissing Candice gently on the lips, walking out of her bedroom and down the stairs, out of the gym. Candice sighed, opening up her suitcase and looking in her closet for things to take to the new region. This should be exciting…

XXXX

Saturday came quicker than Candice expected. Her alarm blared at seven thirty, and after several hits of snooze, she managed to get up at ten. She dressed in her usual gym leader attire—a white collared shirt, a brown skirt, white knee high socks, and brown work shoes. She tied her usual teal sweater around her waist, tying her hair into two braids. Candice smiled, grabbing her suit case and walking down the stairs of her gym, small sunlight peeking through the windows. Candice smiled, since Snowpoint City never got sunlight. She stepped out into the snow, the air still. In the distance, a slim figure was running towards her, waving frantically. Candice raised an eyebrow in confusion, until she realized who it was and ran towards her as well.

"Gardenia!" Candice shouted, quickly embracing the Grass type leader. It had been so long since the two had communicated, since Gardenia and Roark had to hurry out of the meeting to get to their gyms.

The orange haired leader released Candice, smiling brightly, "Candice! It's been too long. I've missed you!" Gardenia said, hugging Candice again. Candice pulled back, grinning wide.

"I've missed you too!" She said, "Are you ready to get to Hoenn?"

Gardenia shrugged, linking arms with Candice and walking towards the exit of the city, "I dunno. I mean, I'm excited to meet them, but I have this feeling that it's gonna be really awkward."

"Why's that?" Candice asked, reaching in her pocket for a PokéBall, sending out Dodrio. They both got on the Pokémon's back, Dodrio running and bounding into the air, soaring above Snowpoint City.

"Take us to Canalave City, Dodrio." Candice said.

"It's gonna be awkward because… Those girls are pretty. What if Roark dumps me for one of those Hoenn girls?"

Candice sighed, shaking her head slightly, "Gardenia, Roark is _in love_ with you. I don't think he'd dump you for one of them. Don't worry about it."

Gardenia sighed, looking below them at the small building, the mass amounts of snow fading into land. "I hope you're right, Candice."

Now that Gardenia brought it up, Candice gripped Dodrio's reigns tighter. What if _Volkner_ dumped _her_for one of the gym leaders down there? Candice sighed, pushing the thought out of her mind. Volkner said himself he wouldn't leave her. She would just have to take his word for it.

Candice & Gardenia made it to Canalave City about thirty minutes later, about six of the Pokémon League standing by the port, Roark and Volkner a part of the group. Gardenia ran right into Roark's embrace, both sharing a gentle kiss. Candice smiled, casually standing next to Volkner.

"Afternoon, Candice." Volkner said, looking out at the ferry. Candice looked up at him, smiling wide. "Hello, Volkner. Did you bring your mingling face?"

Volkner looked down at the raven haired girl, smirking, "It's in my suitcase."

"Good."

They both smiled at each other, words not needed. The eye contact spoke for them.

The rest of the Pokémon League flooded in a bit later, Flint pulling Volkner into pointless conversation. Candice stayed behind with Maylene & Gardenia, gossiping and just catching up.

"Alright, everybody!" Cynthia shouted, everyone giving her their attention. "The ferry is ready to go. There are four rooms available to you, so split up with three people you're sure you won't fight with. The last thing the captain needs is things on fire, people frozen, and electrical systems fried." The group chuckled politely.

"Alright, all aboard!"

Everyone began to pile onto the ferry. Maylene was caught up in conversation with Lucian, and Gardenia was tangled up in Roark, so Candice straggled in the back, rolling her suitcase towards the ferry. Her sweater tied around her waist loosened, falling to the ground. Candice sighed, stopping to pick it up, but someone picked it up before she could. Candice looked up, smiling brightly.

"Thank you."

Volkner shrugged, "No problem. Let's go before the ferry leaves us behind." He took her hand, leading her towards the ferry. They walked up the ramp, standing behind the rest of the Pokémon League as they got checked into their rooms.

Maylene pushed past the crowd, holding up a room key, obviously for Candice. For such a small girl, she could really push you down if she wanted to. She held up a room key out to Candice, who casually let go of Volkner's hand and took the card. Maylene grabbed her wrist and led her back through the group of people. Candice sent a small smile to the blond, until the gap was closed and he couldn't see her anymore.

Volkner dug his hands into his pockets, watching people part to their rooms until there were a few stragglers in the lobby. Just then, a fiery afro wrapped Volkner into a headlock, messing up his blond hair with his knuckles.

"Flint, get off me."

Flint did as he was told, frowning, "How did you know it was me?"

"Who else would it be?"

Flint shrugged, "Good point. I got us a room with Roark." He said, grabbing Volkner's arm, "C'mon, Volky."

"Don't call me Volky."

XXXX

After everyone settled into their rooms, the ferry began to rock along the open sea to Hoenn. Candice was out on the main deck, the sky fallen to night. Her Glaceon nuzzled against her leg, a light breeze gliding along her frosty fur. Candice leaned against the railing, sighing. Her whole body ached with anticipation. She was so excited to travel to a new region—but what Gardenia said about those girls taking Roark from her made Candice uneasy.

Volkner's attractive. Candice knows girls flirt with him. She knows she's not the prettiest girl around, but, if he wanted to, _would_ he leave her?

Candice was shaken out of her thoughts by a pair of arms wrapping around her waist, pressing up against her back. She smiled, "Hi, Volkner."

"How'd you know it was me?"

Candice rolled her eyes "I think I know your touch by now, Volky."

"Haven't we made it clear that I don't like being called Volky?" Volkner said, his lips lightly brushing Candice's cheek, "Cynthia said we should be there by morning."

Candice grinned, even though her stomach collapsed.

"Guess it's time to bust out your mingling face?" Candice said, turning around so her back was against the railing.

"Jeez, you and that word. 'Mingling face'. That's the only thing you've talked to me about since this morning."

"Well, excuse me for caring~"

Volkner quickly kissed her, as if it were some sort of apology.

"Thanks for that, though." He murmured softly, a smile cracking on both their faces. Glaceon purred impatiently against Candice's leg as the two gym leaders kissed under the moon light, the ferry gently ripping through the water.

* * *

"Candice! Get up, get up!"

Candice's eyes slowly opened, immediately startled by Maylene jumping up and down on her bed. She smiled weakly, sitting up in the bed. "Why so energetic at ten in the morning?" Candice croaked, running her fingers through her dark tangled hair.

"Because I'm excited! There's a Fighting-type gym leader in Hoenn, I get a training partner for once!" Maylene jumped off of Candice's bed, gracefully landing on Gardenia's bed and waking her up. Candice sighed, kicking off the blankets and stretching.

Maylene stood in the middle of the room, kicking and punching the air in excitement, "We're here, in Hoenn, a new region, yes!"

Candice laughed, "Maylene, chill out!"

"I can't help it!"

Gardenia smiled, "I've never seen Maylene so worked up over something like this."

The girls decided to get dressed and pack up everything, going down to the lobby of the ferry, others beginning to pile in. Cynthia stood in front of the door, a smile on her face. A gray haired male stood next to her, hands in his pockets, a small smirk on his face. Candice poked at Maylene's shoulder. "I think you should try your luck with him." She whispered, grinning wickedly. Maylene blushed. "Candice! That's the _champion_!" She hissed.

"So? I can see you dating the Pokémon League Champion."

Maylene shook her head, focusing her attention on the two champions before them.

Behind Candice, she could feel a hand slip into hers, squeezing it softly.

"Morning~"

Candice smiled, "Good morning."

"Ready for an _exciting _day?"

"Volkner, you can't even fake enthusiasm well."

"I've been practicing."

Cynthia clapped her hands, "Alright everybody! This is Steven Stone, the champion of the Hoenn Pokémon League." Steven raised his hand, waving slightly.

"Glad you guys could come here. We're docked in Slateport City, if any of you were wondering. Overall, Hoenn is a wonderful place; I can guarantee you'll enjoy yourselves." He said. Cynthia nodded, "Let's get off this thing, shall we?"

She pushed open the door, the morning sunshine pouring in as Cynthia stepped aside and let the other people through. Candice followed behind Maylene and Gardenia, walking out on the ramp and to the dock, two different groups of people staring back at one another.

"Yo!" A voice shouted on the Sinnoh side. Volkner slapped his hand over his forehead, sighing.

"Only Flint would." He muttered to Candice. Flint stepped forward, a grin on his face.

"I'm Flint, a member of the Sinnoh Elite Four, Fire-types being my specialty!"

A red haired girl pushed her way up to Flint, smirking at him.

"I'm the Fire-type gym leader, Flannery."

Flint grinned at her, "Care for a walk?" The two lined arms and walked away, the two groups immediately merging into one. Candice latched onto Volkner's arm as people went finding a person of common type. A loud, cherry laugh rang from behind Volkner & Candice, causing them to jump and turn around to see a small, old man grinning at them.

"Sorry to interrupt," He said, "I'm Wattson, the Electric-type gym leader here. Know any kids who enjoy a shock?"

Candice smiled, detaching from Volkner's arm. "You found one." She said. Volkner shrugged, smiling slightly.

Wattson grinned from ear to ear, grabbing Volkner by the wrist, "Then let's go, boy!" He shouted, dragging Volkner away in the opposite direction. Volkner sent a small wave to Candice, until he was out of sight trying to catch up with Wattson.

Someone tapped on Candice's shoulder. She turned around, her heart skipping a beat for the second time in her life.

He was tall, a head of blue, spiked hair falling just past his ears. There was a smirk on his face, piercing blue eyes staring back at her.

"Hi," He said, "I'm Brawly, the Fighting-type gym leader here. Do you happen to be the Fighting-type gym leader of Sinnoh…?"

Candice giggled, "No, sorry. She's the one, actually." She pointed in Maylene's direction, who was talking to Gardenia and a girl with flowers on the side of her head. Brawly nodded, "I kinda figured it wasn't you, but, I needed an excuse to talk to a girl as cute as you."

Candice's face flushed crimson, more nervous giggles pouring out of her mouth. "I'm Candice, the Ice-type gym leader." She extended her arm, locking Brawly into a handshake. He smiled, "Well, thanks. See you around, Snowflake?"

Candice nodded. Brawly turned on his heels and walked over to Maylene, leaving Candice blushing to herself. Snowflake; a nickname she could get used to.

"Excuse me?"

Candice turned around, a middle aged woman smiling warmly at her.

"I hear you work with Ice-types?" She asked. Candice nodded. "My name is Glacia. I'm the Ice-type user of the Elite Four."

Candice smiled. "Oh! It's nice to meet you! I'm Candice."

"Fancy a stroll with me, dear?"

"Sure."

The two walked down the nearest route, a sandy beach greeting them.

"I noticed the way you were looking at Brawly."

"How so?"

Glacia smiled, "Like the way a trainer looks when they gain a badge."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"It is when I can see you have a thing with the blond lad."

Candice sighed, "I didn't mean to look at him like that. It just…happened. Say, aren't we supposed to be discussing Pokémon?"

"Pokémon can wait, dear. At the moment, your love life is what's important." Glacia said, sitting in the sand.

"I like Volkner. I like him a lot," Candice said, "And I was worried that as soon as we got here, he would find someone better. New region, new girls, right?"

Glacia nodded, a breeze whipping through her pale, blonde locks. "I can tell that Volkner cares about you. You should trust him, though. As for you, you should remember that you're dating Volkner, not Brawly."

"Well, Brawly's just something to look at for five days."

Glacia chuckled, "Just making sure you understand. If you need anyone to talk to, I'm here. We Ice-type users have to stick together."

Candice smiled, "Thanks. Hey, how about a battle?"

Glacia smirked, "I won't go easy on you."

"Didn't want you to."

XXXX

To her surprise, Candice managed to beat Glacia. A powerful Razor Leaf from her Abomasnow caused Glacia's equally powerful Walrein to faint.

Candice had gone down to the market as day was fading, a tangerine sky hanging over her. She hovered over a glass window, staring hungrily at the cakes on display.

"Hey, Snowflake!"

Candice snapped out of her trance, looking up at the blue haired gym leader smiling at her. She grinned back, rocking on her heels, "Hi, Brawly."

"What brings you out here at this time?"

Candice shrugged, looking out at the sky, the sun kissing the horizon. "Just wanted something sweet."

Brawly smiled, "So you found me. Now what?"

Candice blushed, turning back to the cakes calling her name.

"How about I buy you something? My treat!"

Candice shook her head, "No, no, it's fine—"

"'Scuse me?" Brawly said with his charming smile. The woman behind the display turned around, her face lighting up, "Wow! You're Brawly, the Dewford Town gym leader!" Brawly shrugged. "Can I get two of those Spheal cakes?"

The woman nodded happily, plucking two small cakes with sky blue frosting from behind the glass and set them on the counter. Brawly pushed a few Poké Dollars towards her, taking the cakes and smiling warmly, "Thanks so much."

"Oh, you don't have to pay!" She smiled. Brawly pretended her didn't hear and began to walk away, steps falling in sync with Candice's. He handed her one of the Spheal cakes, grinning. Candice hesitated, but she took the pastry and smiled back, "Thanks."

Brawly shrugged, "I wanted to buy it for you anyway." He patted her back as he turned on his heels, walking towards the Pokémon Center.

"Until next time, Snowflake." He called, walking into the building. Candice sighed, looking down at the dessert in her hand. She took a small bite, a burst of light, buttery flavor grinding under her teeth. She smiled, taking another bite as she walked in the opposite direction towards the beach, sitting down in the sand as the sun sank lower. Candice continued to munch contently of her Spheal cake.

"Hey, stranger."

Candice grinned, expecting a head of spiky blue hair. She turned around, her wide grin shrinking just a little bit.

"Hi, Volky." She said, still just as happy to see her boyfriend. He sat down next to her, his hand resting on her waist as she leaned against his shoulder.

"How was your day?" Candice asked, finishing off the Spheal cake. She made a mental note to stock up on those before she left Hoenn.

Volkner shrugged, resting his chin on the top of Candice's head, "It was good, I guess. Wattson's cool—he's just really loud. We had a battle, and I won, since he's the third gym leader in the line and I'm the eighth. I missed you, though."

"I missed you too, Volky." Candice smiled, nuzzling against him. The sun was drowned in the sea, the moon taking its place. A strip of light lit up the water, small waves crashing on the shore.

"How about you?"

"My day was good. Glacia's an Elite Four member, and I beat her in a battle. And, I really like Hoenn. The people here are pleasant; the city is clean and beautiful. It's a nice break from Sinnoh—don't get me wrong, I love Sinnoh, but Hoenn is just… better."

Volkner smirked, "Would you ever consider staying out here? Yanno, like…_living_ here?"

Candice blinked, tilting her head in thought, looking at the crescent moon. "I dunno…_maybe_. I haven't really…thought about it…"

"We could get a place together."

Candice looked up at Volkner, a small smile on his face. She smiled back, "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am." He kissed her softly on the lips, his fingers gently caressing her cheek. Candice broke contact, tucking her head back against his neck, biting her lip. Volkner wanted to _move in_ with her? They'd only been dating for half a year; did she really want to?

"Candice, you already know how much I adore you. You can say no if you want." Volkner said softly, "I'll still love you no matter what."

She sat up, gently kissing Volkner's cheek. "I'll think about it." She said quietly. Volkner grinned, giving her a loving squeeze.

Candice sighed, standing up. "I'm gonna head back to the hotel…Long day, yanno?"

Volkner nodded, getting up off the sand. He laced his fingers around hers as they walked in the direction of the hotel. At the entrance, they shared a kiss, a loving goodnight embrace, and departed to their rooms on the first floor. Candice shut the door behind her, tip-toeing into the bedroom to see Gardenia & Maylene on one of the three beds.

"Hey, Candice!" Gardenia said, grinning wide. Candice smiled, flopping on the bed on the right.

"Out with Volkner?" Maylene asked. Candice nodded, "He wanted to move out here… and he wants me to come with him."

Maylene and Gardenia gasped simultaneously, hopping on Candice's bed.

"Start from the beginning!" Maylene demanded.

"Well," Candice said, "We were at the beach, and I told him how much I like it here, and he's like, 'We should get a place together', and I was like, 'Are you serious?' and he's like, 'Of course I am.'"

Gardenia smiled, "Awe, that's so cute! Hell, I might move out here… If Roark ever stops talking about _Roxanne_."

"Roxanne…?" Maylene asked.

"She's the Rock-type gym leader." Gardenia snorted, "The only alone time I have with the guy, and all he does is gush about how awesome _Roxanne_ is, and how cool _Roxanne_ is. Roxanne, Roxanne, _Roxanne_."

"Awe, someone's jealous…" Candice cooed.

"I am _not_ jealous. Never. Why _would_ I be jealous?"

"You sure sound jealous…" Maylene said. Gardenia glared, folding her arms over her chest.

Candice giggled, "How about you, Maylene? Any boys you have interest in?"

Maylene blushed. "Well, there are two."

"Spill." Candice & Gardenia said in unison.

Maylene sighed, "One of them is Brawly. He's a really good battler, and he's really funny, he's sweet, and not to mention really cute…"

Candice's stomach twisted harshly. Guilt made her heart throb. She loved Maylene more than anything, and she wasn't gonna let a guy like Brawly come between them.

"Who's the second?" Gardenia asked eagerly.

Maylene looked at Candice with narrow eyes. "Steven Stone…"

Candice squealed, bouncing on the bed, "I called it! I totally called it!"

Maylene groaned, "I know, I know. I was talking to him after hanging out with Brawly; he's so nice. But I know neither of them like me."

"Why do you think that?" Gardenia asked.

"Because Brawly left from hanging out to find 'Snowflake'. I don't even know who Snowflake _is_. He just said, 'It was fun hanging out with you, but I gotta find my Snowflake'."

Candice's stomach almost imploded itself. At the market…he left Maylene to see _her_.

"Huh…Do you think maybe this Snowflake is from Sinnoh?" Gardenia thought aloud. Maylene shrugged, "What do you think, Candice?"

A wad of worry left her speechless. She tried her best to swallow it, but the more she tried, the dryer her mouth felt.

"I'm not sure." Candice managed to choke out, reaching for the water bottle on the night stand and taking a long gulp.

Maylene sighed, "I guess we'll figure that out later. We should head off to bed."

"Agreed. Night everyone~" Gardenia said, getting up off the middle bed and curling up into the bed on the left. Candice quickly changed into her night clothes, slipping into the bed on the right. Maylene shut off the lamp, the room now dark and quiet except for the rustling of bodies getting comfortable under blankets.

Candice looked up at the dark ceiling, sighing heavily. Someone new had walked right into her life, and there was no way of stopping him. As much as Candice loves Volkner, she's distracted by a blue haired boy with a Hariyama.

And the alias of Snowflake is the only thing keeping her friendship with Maylene under control.

* * *

**Gardenia, Maylene, Brawly, Volkner, _and_ Candice are probably OOC. I know Volkner's quiet, so I tried my best at that. I never saw how Gardenia, Maylene, and Brawly acted in the anime. So, excuse me.**

**A bit of Candice x Brawly action. Some of you may not see it, but Iiiiiii caaaaan~**

**Thanks so much for reading, I truly appriciate it.**

**Reading is fun..but so is reviewing.**

**kthxbye. ~**


	2. Chapter 2: Lake of Secrets

**hfjdkmn Sorry this took so long. I tried my best to take it long, but it came up shorter than I wanted. Plus, I had so many distractions, like school and life. I also nap a lot after school, so I don't have a helluva lotta time to write since I sleep for a while XD**

**Sooo, here it is. Hope you guys enjoy~**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon. Seriously, who would give me that kind of power?**

* * *

Candice woke up on her own, morning silently flooding through the curtains. She sat up, her friends still sound asleep. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Candice sighed, crawling out of the comfort of the bed, walking to the door and opening it, trying her best to stay quiet.

In front of her stood a tanned girl in tropical attire, her tube top and floral patterned skirt in the color of lime green. The flowers on either side of her head were pink, pinned against her short, brown hair. A Duskull hovered over her shoulder, the glowing red sphere behind its mask watching Candice carefully.

Candice smiled tiredly, "Good morning, Phoebe."

"Did I wake you?" Phoebe asked, frowning. Candice shook her head, running her fingers through her mess of hair. "Not at all, don't worry. What brings you here?"

"Well," Phoebe stepped into their room, Duskull circling around a sleepy Glaceon, who was curled up on the couch. "There's a party tonight, or as Steven called it, a 'gym leader mixer'. So, I was talking with Winona & Brawly, and we thought it'd be fun to surf over to Johto for a few hours."

A wide smile cracked across Candice's face. "That sounds awesome! But how're we gonna surf there if none of us own Water Pokémon…?"

Phoebe smiled, "Wallace gladly let us borrow his precious Milotic. The only condition was to bring her back another level higher and full health. Plus, she's twenty feet tall, I'm pretty sure we can all , you in?"

Candice smiled, "For sure."

"Great. So far, it's just gonna be me, Brawly, Flannery, Roark, Flint, Volkner, Winona, and you three."

"Alright, cool. What time should I be ready?"

Phoebe bit her lip, "See, we kind of have to _sneak_ to the port. If Steven or Cynthia knew we were leaving the region, they would have Garchomp and Metagross kill us. So, get there around two, and we'll hurry up and get out of here."

Candice nodded, throwing her a thumbs up.

"Cool. See you later, Candice." Phoebe waved her Duskull over away from Glaceon, quietly exiting the room.

A sleepy orangette walked out of the bedroom, yawning.

"Morning, Gardenia~" Candice said cheerfully, scooping up Glaceon.

Gardenia smiled, "Morning. Was someone here?"

"Yeah, Phoebe was. She wants us to come to the port and surf over to Johto for a few hours." Gardenia grinned, "Nice, I'm in." Then her grin faded, "Is Roxanne going?"

Candice smiled, shaking her head. "She's probably studying or something. You have Roark all to yourself!"

Gardenia sighed, flopping on the couch, "That's kind of a relief. I know you'll be with Volkner, and Maylene would be with Brawly, or trying to track down Snowflake. I swear, that girl is becoming obsessed with finding out who Snowflake is."

Candice furrowed her brows, puzzled. "How so?"

"Before you came in last night, we were sitting on the bed talking, and she was ringing off names of people who could possibly be Snowflake. She's paranoid, actually. I think she just likes Brawly a lot, and she wants his attention. You know how competitive Maylene can get…"

Candice sighed, "If I tell you something, do you promise to keep it just between us?"

Whoops—Word vomit.

Gardenia sat up on the couch, her fierce orange eyes staring back at Candice. "Of course, Candice."

Well, shit, there's no turning back from this.

"…Brawly started calling…_me_ Snowflake the day we got here."

Gardenia blinked. "So…_you're _Snowflake…which means…Brawly likes you?"

Candice shrugged, "I dunno. He doesn't know I'm dating Volkner, though."

"So, you're flirting."

"Well, no, _he's_ flirting. Last night before I hung out with Volkner, he bought me something from the market, and called me cute earlier that day."

Gardenia sighed, "We can't let Maylene know this."

Candice nodded, "Or Volkner. Maylene would hurt me, and Volkner would _kill_ Brawly."

The sleepy pink haired fighter shuffled out of the bedroom, stretching her arms upward. "Morning, guys~"

Candice & Gardenia exchanged worried glances, both looking at Maylene and smiling innocently.

"Good morning, Maylene." Candice said, her whole body filling with worry. This should be an interesting day…

* * *

After Maylene was informed about the plans, the three girls dressed and ate a light breakfast provided by room service. The funny thing is, they didn't order room service—it was just sent to their room. On Candice's plate sat a yellow cake, topped with blue frosting with a small, Spheal figurine. Candice bit her lip; she had a feeling it was Brawly who sent them the meal.

After they ate, they walked outside into the afternoon light, about four people crowded around the port they were departing from.

"Hey, guys!" Maylene said, jogging over to them. Hesitating, she gave Brawly a quick embrace. He hugged back loosely, chuckling at her tension. She pulled back, blushing slightly. He looked up, noticing Candice. He grinned, waving, "Hey, Sno—OUCH!"

Candice looked at Gardenia, who was smiling innocently while Brawly held his foot, hopping up & down in pain. Candice smiled at her friend, relieved she had stopped him before everything got ugly.

"What the hell was that for!" Brawly exclaimed.

"Oh! Sorry, it happens sometimes. Something's up with my foot." Gardenia said casually. Brawly glared, limping over to Flint & Roark.

"Thanks, Gardenia." Candice sighed, "That was close."

"Yeah," Gardenia said, folding her arms across her chest, "_Too_ close."

"Hello, ladies." A voice rang from behind. Gardenia turned around, smirking and nudging Candice. Candice smiled. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Hi, Volkner." She said. Gardenia looked at Candice, slowly walking over to Roark

Candice turned around, smiling at the blond, "I'm surprised you came. Since, yanno, you're a loner."

Volkner smirked, placing his hands on her curves. "Well, not today. I brought my mingling face, remember?"

Candice chuckled softly, "Oh yeah, I forgot." Volkner leaned down, their lips just centimeters apart.

"Alright, guys!"

Volkner sighed, resting his forehead against Candice's.

"Darn." He said softly. She shrugged, turning around to see who was talking. It was Phoebe, her Duskull hovering over her shoulder with a PokéBall in its sleeve.

"We should probably get going now, because Cynthia & Steven should be outside any second. So…" Phoebe took the PokéBall from Duskull, tossing it in the air. A giant, pale colored Pokémon popped out, landing in the water with a heavy splash. It turned its head, deep red eyes scanning the group of teenagers.

"Let's go!" Phoebe said, stepping onto Milotic's tail and carefully jogging up its length to the top of its head. The others hesitantly followed, stepping on the soft skin of the Water Pokémon.

Once everyone was situated, Phoebe ordered Milotic to head off towards Johto. For such a large Pokémon, she was awfully fast. Milotic reached the beach of Olivine City in an impressive thirty-five minutes. Once everyone was safely on shore, Phoebe returned Milotic to its PokéBall.

"There's a bus coming to take us to Goldenrod City, and then over to Lake of Rage, so just sit tight." She informed them. Everyone decided to chill in the sand, mingling with one another.

"Are you dating Brawly yet?" Gardenia asked Maylene. Maylene sighed, looking out into the ocean. "Of course not. He didn't even hug me back earlier. _And_ there's still that Snowflake character out there."

"There's still Steven!" Candice smiled. Maylene sighed again, "He doesn't like me either. I appreciate the help, guys, but there's no hope for my love life."

"Don't say that!" Gardenia said, "Maybe we'll find you a Johto boy!"

"Yeah, you said that when we left for Hoenn. What's next, you're gonna tell me you're gonna find me a Kanto boy?" Maylene snapped. A small bus pulled up from the cobblestone roads, Phoebe calling everyone over to get on, and off they went.

"Man, I'm glad we came to Hoenn." Flint said, leaning back in the bus seat.

"And why is that?" Roark said, sitting next to him.

"Flannery. Duh. She's so hot…Hey, what about you and Roxanne, Roark?"

Roark blinked, "What about Roxanne?"

"You tappin' that?"

Roark blushed, "No!" He exclaimed, "I don't like Roxanne like that. Sure, she's cool, buy I like Gardenia."

"Dude, she totally likes you."

"Oh well, I'm with Gardenia."

Flint looked past Roark to Volkner, who was staring out the window. "How about you, Volks?"

"I like Candice, discussion over."

Flint shook his head, ""So you haven't seen Brawly hitting on her?"

Volkner whipped his head violently to face his friend, giving him his full attention. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah. Winona told me Brawly finds her really attractive, and he's been apparently flirting with her this whole time."

Volkner shrugged, "It's whatever. As long as he doesn't touch her, he stays alive." He could help but look behind him to see Candice sitting next to Brawly, watching her laugh and talk with him. Volkner's attention snapped back on as Brawly leaned closer to Candice, a smirk on his face. Volkner tensed, turning away and looking out the window at the wild Pokémon scattering, and training fighting for levels.

* * *

Once in Goldenrod City, everyone went about their business. Some went off to the Game Corner, and others basked in the golden goodness of the city.

Candice was taking a stroll with Brawly, despite it being such a risky move.

"So, about what you said on the bus," Brawly said, looking down at Candice, "Does Maylene really like me?"

Candice sighed, nodding. "Yes, for the millionth time, Maylene likes you."

"Won't that be a problem? Considering I have a thing for someone else…" He let himself trail off, finger tips brushing Candice's palm. She gasped silently, balling her hands into fists and stuffing them into her skirt pockets. Brawly frowned, gazing up at the afternoon sky.

"Well, do you at least like her a _tiny _bit?"

Brawly paused, looking back down at the raven haired leader. "Do you want me to lie or tell the truth?"

Candice blinked, sighing softly. "Lie to me."

"A little bit."

Candice groaned, letting her hands fall out of her pockets. Brawly chuckled, "I'm sorry! I just don't see her as the girlfriend type."

"But you see _me_ as the girlfriend type?"

Brawly quickly placed his hands firmly on Candice's hips, pulling her close to him. Candice's breath caught; she was pressed against a cute blue haired boy in the depths of Johto where her boyfriend could be lurking. She knew she shouldn't but….she liked this. Brawly's embrace wasn't as strong and safe as Volkner's, but it was comforting, warm, and gentle. He was smirking down at her, hands running down the arch of her back.

_No!_ Candice thought sharply, _you don't like this! You like Volkner! _Volkner!_ But oh, Arceus, this is so nice…_

"Yeah, I do." Brawly said softly. Then he started to lean down, eyes slowly lidding.

Shit, he wanted to kiss her.

Candice stayed tense, pressed against Brawly, her head spinning. She suddenly pushed out of Brawly's embrace gently, a blush staining her cheeks.

"Is it possible," Candice said slowly, "To find someone better than me to like?"

She didn't bother to wait around for his response. She quickly turned around, walking towards the gym, on the hunt for a familiar face.

Volkner.

She wanted Volkner.

She wanted to walk into his arms and scream in frustration. She wanted to confess how much she loves him, and how much she likes being with him, and how Hoenn is such a wonderful place, and how she's still considering moving out here.

But she couldn't.

Candice couldn't move to Hoenn. Hoenn meant she'd see much more of Brawly.

Volkner was leaning against the Goldenrod Gym, the sun shining down on his electric blond hair. Candice smiled, quickening her pace and leaning against the wall next to him casually. Volkner glanced down at her, smiling wide.

"Hey there, stranger." He said, quickly wrapping his arms around her. She sighed, the familiar embrace calming her nerves. Sure, being so close to Brawly was pretty great, but with Volkner, he made her feel like the only girl in the world. Candice didn't hesitate to initiate kissing, arms wrapping around his neck and threading through his hair.

"Get some!"

Volkner broke contact, turning around and glaring at his friend. Flint was grinning at them with Flannery under his arm, a badge pinned on his yellow polo shirt, both of them smiling brightly. Candice smiled back politely, nuzzling against Volkner's chest, causing him to hug her closer (if that was possible). Flint chuckled, "Ignoring me for you girlfriend? Ouch." He placed his hand over his heart, scrunching his face together. Flannery giggled, "You do the same thing, let him be with his girl."

Candice laughed, Flint narrowing his eyes are both of them. "Oh hey, there's the bus!" Flint said suddenly, he and the other red head walking towards it. Volkner looked down at Candice, smiling lightly.

"Lake of Rage time?" Volkner said, his arms dropping, both walking hand in hand to the bus.

The gym leader filled bus reached Mahogany Town's Lake of Rage; bug Pokémon scurrying through shrubs, Goldeens jumping through the aqua colored water. Everyone released their Pokémon, the whole area glowing in a happy aura,

Candice sat along the water's edge, singing her feet in the lake. She watched Gardenia cling onto Roark while Maylene & Brawly splashed them. Candice smiled, petting Glaceon's fur. She slipped into the water, giving Glaceon another scratch behind the ear. She slowly waded up behind Roark & Gardenia, Gardenia still latched onto him. He looked down at her, cordovan eyes meeting orange. He leaned down, ready to kiss his woman—

Then Candice decided to dunk his head underwater. Maylene & Brawly laughed, while Gardenia glared, but laughed along with them. Candice released Roark's head. He popped up almost immediately, red hair dripping over his face.

"Thanks, Candice." He muttered.

_CRASH!_

"What was that?" Maylene exclaimed.

A giant wave erupted from the Lake's center, a thundering war shaking the trees. Water Pokémon began swimming frantically to the water's edge. Candice looked up, her eyes widening.

It was a giant Gyarados.

A red Gyarados.

Candice & the others quickly evacuated the water, calling on their strongest Pokémon to put the giant Pokémon to rest.

"Abomasnow, use Razor Leaf!" Candice called. Her bulky white Pokémon opened its palms, sharp, green leaves firing at Gyarados, but it didn't do a thing.

Everyone had their Pokémon out and fighting, attempting to calm down the beat.

Candice looked around at her colleagues, shooting attacks here and there.

"Abomasnow, Blizzard!"

Candice's Abomasnow let out a cry, small pellets of snow leaving its mouth.

"Combine your Thunder attack with that Blizzard, Electivire.

Candice turned around, a smirking Volkner looking back at her.

"Razor Leaf into that Blizzard, Roserade!" Gardenia called, her grass Pokémon firing leaves into the snowy, electrical attack.

"Infernape, use Flamethrower!"

"Use Aura Sphere, Lucario."

"Get a Show Ball in there, Duskull!"

Soon, arrays of attacks were absorbed into the swirling Blizzard, maintained in a sphere shape. Candice smirked, "Throw the attack at Gyarados."

Abomasnow let out another cry, hurling the ball at Gyarados, striking it in the face. Gyarados let out a cry, falling with a loud, roaring splash, a wave crashing over the leaders..

Laughter erupted from them, all of them soaking wet. Candice walked up to Volkner, ringing out the water from her braids.

"You seem a little damp." She smiled. Volkner narrowed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her and looking at her lovingly. He slowly leaned down, Candice closing her eyes and waiting to be greeted by his sweet lips.

The next thing she knew, she was off the ground.

Her eyes jolted open, thrashing her arms and legs around. With one swift motion, she was in the water. Her head popped up, greeted by laughter.

"I hate you so much."

Volkner smirked, "I love you, too. I'm gonna go into town and get some dry clothes."

Candice nodded, floating along the water. Volkner started walking in the opposite direction, along with Winona & Flint.

Candice noticed someone on the edge of the water across the lake. Curious, she waded over to the figure. The closer she got, the bluer the hair appeared.

* * *

"Hi, Brawly." Candice said, resting her arms on the grass. Brawly looked at her, a grin popping on his face.

"Hey there, Snowflake." He said brightly.

"Why are you over here?" Candice asked.

"I got washed over here by that Gyarados. It looked pretty pissed off…"

Candice giggled, "Yeah, it was. Hey, we should probably get going, we're probably heading back to Slateport soon."

Brawly shrugged, "Sure, I guess." He slipped into the water, a small wave splashing Candice in the face. She glared, splashing him back. Brawly looked at her, leaping to tackle her, now clinging to her back.

"Brawly! Get off of me!" Candice gasped between laughs. She managed to escape fro under him, Brawly quickly grabbing her and pulling her against him. Candice wiggled, Brawly turning her around, now face to face. Their laughter faded, gazing contently into each other's eyes.

"To answer your question from earlier," He said softly, hands running down her curves, dotted with water. Candice looked up at him with confusion.

"It's impossible to like someone than you."

Brawly quickly drew her into a kiss before she could protest. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, millions of Beautifly fluttering through her stomach.

This was wrong.

This was _really_ wrong.

Candice knows she loves Volkner more than anything.

But it was probably time to end the sexual tension, right?

Candice skeptically kissed back, to Brawly surprise. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers skimming his aqua hair. She felt warm tongue enter the depths of her mouth, sliding along her teeth.

This is wrong.

But it feels so right.

Candice broke contact; more than enough saliva had been swapped.

Brawly smiled at her, kissing her forehead gently.

"We don't tell anyone about this." Candice choked out quietly, arms leaving from around his torso. Brawly frowned, "Am I that bad of a kisser?"

"No, no, it's not that. Maylene would kill me if she found out about this. So, please, don't go around telling everyone." She escaped his embraced, slowly swimming away from the blue haired leader, a small smile on her face.

"We should do that again sometime, Candice!" Brawly called. Candice just swam faster, guilt building up in her lungs, the needs to exhale every last detail increasing with every stroke.

There still remained three days in Hoenn. Three days of Brawly. Three days of hiding things from Maylene, and Volkner.

Three days Candice wasn't sure if she can get through.

* * *

**T'IS DONE. THIS TOOK A WHILE TO GET THROUGHFIDIJHFDNSO.**

**I'm sorry. Next chapter will be up in a week or two, just giving you a heads up.**

**Alrighty, Pokemon games...**

**Platinum~**

**I beat it. Moving on.**

**HeartGold~**

**I started over HeartGold. I got an Eevee! I've only been playing HeartGold at night, because I wanna get me an Umbreon.**

**Also, I only have 5 Pokemon. Anyone got any ideas on who I should get? Because right now it's just Ampharos, Eevee, Growlithe, Feraligatr, and Pidgeotto. Trying to find a Herecross? They're so impossible to find, though.**

**Anyway,**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Until next time.~**


	3. Chapter 3: Fight Night

****

IT'S. DONE.

**IT'S BEEN A MONTH SINCE I LAST UPDATED.**

**I/ AM/ SO/ SORRY.**

**This took a while to write. Some parts were hard to fill, others I just didn't like, but I legit _made_ myself sit down and write something. I did write down ideas and stuff, and I thought they were good, but this turned out completely differently than I expected it to.**

**Sorry if some parts are going too fast, I was rushing at some points so I could get this done quicker and uploaded. I hope you guys still like it, though.**

**Again, really sorry about the delay. I absolutely HATE not updating for a long period of time.**

**Enjoy the last chapter, guys!**

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Pokemon. Who would trust me with this fragile piece of everyone's childhood?**

**Oh, P.S. I stayed up until 4 in the morning to finish it. Dedication? XD**

* * *

"You did _what!_" Gardenia shouted. Candice quickly slapped her hand over her orange haired friend's mouth.

They were back at the hotel, the party in less than forty-five minutes. Maylene was in the shower, the roaring water drowning out the secrets being told.

"Shush!" Candice hissed, "She might hear you!"

"Why would you do that? Maylene's your _friend_!"

"I know, I know. It just sort of…happened. I feel horrible about it, Gardenia."

"Did you _want_ to kiss him?"

Candice blinked. "No…I felt like I _had_ to."

"You _had_ to?"

"As in so I could finally stop liking him. I thought that maybe if I kiss him, my feelings for him would go with it."

"Well did they?"

Candice sighed, "Not really. I mean, as we were leaving, I realized I like Volkner so much more. But…feelings are still there."

Gardenia shook her head, "What have you gotten yourself into?" Candice groaned, "I have no idea."

The bathroom door swung open, Maylene stepping out with a towel wrapped around her body & a separate towel around her hair. She grinned, "I'm so excited for this party!"

Candice and Gardenia glanced at each other, pasting on smiles.

"Same." They said in unison. Maylene let her pink hair fall over her bright fuchsia eyes as she fumbled through her suitcase. "This trip was such a great idea. Here in Hoenn with my best friends, some cute boys, and a beautiful city." Maylene smiled, gathering together clothes and walking back into the bathroom.

"When we get to the party, stay away from Brawly." Gardenia said. Candice sighed, nodding. "Good idea. I'll stay with you guys and Volkner. I don't wanna ruin this night."

Gardenia smiled weakly, "It's for the best."

XXXX

Flint bursts through the door of his hotel room, making Volkner & Roark snap out of their mindless TV watching.

"Volks, you aren't gonna believe this." Flint said, shutting the door and sitting on the edge of Volkner's bed.

"I'm guessing you and Flannery are gonna elope to Kanto or something?" Volkner guessed.

"No, no, no! I saw Brawly kissing Candice!"

Volkner sat up, "Excuse me?"

"Remember how after we got dry clothes, I raced Winona to the lake?"

"…Yeah…"

"Well, I won, just saying, and I saw two people over by the lake's edge on the opposite side. So, I flew on Winona's Altaria to get a better look, and I saw Candice & Brawly, and he started kissing her."

Volkner sighed silently, looking at his redheaded friend. "You sure?"

"I'd never lie to you, Volkner."

Volkner sighed again, "…He's a dead man."

XXXX

The party came faster than Candice wanted it to. Gardenia, Maylene, and she began walking to the Slateport recreation center where the party was being held. They walked through the doors, found the room where the festivities were being held, and began dancing their asses off. The room was already packed full of people, and the music was bumping the whole room. Candice stayed out on the dance floor, laughing and jumping around with her best friends, plus Phoebe & Roxanne. The five girls were in a circle, having a good time.

An hour passed. Candice parted from them, sitting down in a nearby chair and wiping the sweat off of her brow. She watched Maylene happily clinging to Gardenia as they jumped up and down to the music. Candice peeled off her teal sweater, wrapping over the back of the chair. She smiled to herself, leaning back and letting her body cool down. This trip was a fantastic idea. She was out in a beautiful region with her closest friends, her fantastic boyfriend, and many new friends she hoped to keep in contact with.

And then there's Brawly.

She didn't know whether he was a friend, or just some guy she liked.

The past two days have been nothing but resisting the urge to…There was no lighter way to put it—_touch_ him. She took a gulp of ice water, hoping the cold would freeze the thought and break it before it could blossom.

The image of a blond haired boy just happened to float its way in, making Candice smile. Along with that image came the aqua haired boy. Candice groaned, the music too thick to hear it. She wanted him out of her mind now; she knew she had no feelings for him whatsoever.

She wanted Volkner.

_I haven't seen Volkner yet…_ Candice thought suddenly, _He said he was coming. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Brawly either…_

A sinking feeling dropped in her stomach. The worst idea had just crawled into her mind…

She ran out of the party room, down the hall and out the door, a chill ocean breeze ripping through her hair.

"It's not my fault your girlfriend doesn't love you anymore!" Brawly hissed, shoving Volkner. Volkner glared, shoving him right back. "Shut up."

"What, are you scared of the truth?" Brawly said. Volkner swung his fist, his knuckles kissing right above Brawly's eye. Brawly jumped back, his hand quickly slapping over his bruised face. Brawly flinched, pretending he was about to fight back, but he didn't. Volkner snorted, "You're all talk. You give off that tough guy act, but you're nothing. Just a little _pussy_."

Brawly glared, his hand slowly dropping from his slowly swelling face. He raised his fist, ready to strike—

"Stop it, both of you!" Candice shouted, standing in between them. Her heart pounded as she watched fists slowly uncurl back into fingers, trembling with adrenaline.

"What the hell is going on!"

Volkner glared, beginning to walk towards the door back inside.

"Volkner, where are you going?" She asked. He turned around, blue eyes filled with anger. "I'm going back inside, obviously. I don't want to talk to you right now."

Candice felt her heart shatter. "…Volkner…" She reached her hand out. Volkner held up his hand, shaking his head. "No, Candice. You're the last person I wanna see right now." He said sternly, turning back and walking inside. Candice sighed, her breath shaky.

"Why didn't you tell me you have a boyfriend?"

She didn't move—she didn't want to look into Brawly's eyes and sputter excuses.

So she didn't reply. She heard him sigh, pushing past her and walking into the center. Candice looked up at the sky, letting out a heavy sigh, letting tears rain down her face.

Everything was ruined.

Well, almost everything…

Candice walked back into the center and into the party room, looking around for any familiar faces. Her eyes landed upon Maylene & Brawly. Candice smiled slightly, hoping they were flirting, or talking about anything but her.

To Candice's horror, she saw Maylene turn in her direction, glaring and walking in Candice's direction. Candice held her breath, bracing herself.

"Wanna tell me why Brawly just told me you kissed him?"

"What? He's lying, _he_ kissed _me_!"

"That's not what he told me."

"Maylene, I can tell you right now, that he made the move first. Don't believe him!"

Maylene was quiet, folding her arms and looking at the ground. "I don't know who to believe." She walked back to the circle of girls, grabbing onto Gardenia arm and continued to glare at Candice.

Alright, _now_ everything was ruined.

* * *

The rest of the night was rocky & awkward. Candice sat down at a nearby table for the majority of the night, throwing glances here and there are her friends—a word which she didn't know if she could use it anymore. Whenever she was caught looking at Maylene, Maylene would just glare at her. But whenever Candice was looking at Volkner, he would look back with no emotion on his face—like he was in deep thought, and not hating her.

Here and there, Gardenia or Winona would come sit with her to see how she was doing. Every time, she'd give them the same response—'miserable'.

It was around four in the morning now. Candice was wide awake. Her mind wouldn't ease up no matter how many deep breaths she took. She turned again in the bed, looking out at the broad midnight sky, the moon covered by dense, gray clouds. She sighed, sitting up. She looked over at her friends, both sleeping peacefully. Candice got out of the bed, walking out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, grabbing a cup and filling it with water. She took a long gulp, hoping the room temperature beverage would make her at least a little tired.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Candice looked up, her orange haired friend shutting the bedroom door softly, leaning against the door frame. Candice smiled, "Yeah; too much on my mind."

"Yeah, you had an interesting night." Gardenia said, sitting on the sofa. Candice set her glass on the counter, walking over and sitting on the chair adjacent to the sofa. "A little bit. Yanno, nothing interesting, besides Volkner, Maylene, _and_ Brawly hating me. No big deal…"

Gardenia chuckled lightly, sitting criss-cross on the leather couch.

"I just don't know what to do, Gardenia. I mean, I tried my best to keep everything together, but then Brawly comes into the picture, and then the kiss…I dunno if anything will ever get better. How everything will be tomorrow, or when we come back to Sinnoh, or—"

"You still haven't mentioned anything about caring if Maylene or Volkner or Brawly are okay."

"What?"

Gardenia sighed, "You're just talking about yourself. You, you, you. All about _you_. But there are other people in the situation."

"Dude, I know this—"

"I don't think you do."

Candice was quiet. Gardenia took that as Candice letting her continue. "You a kissed a boy you just met literally yesterday; well, more like two days ago. You've been dating Volkner for six months, have you even thought about how hurt he must be? The guy is in love with you. And then there's Maylene, who's your best friend since Arceus knows when. She likes Brawly, so you go on and do some canoodling with him. And then Brawly—"

"No, don't talk about him. He told Maylene I was all over him, when I really wasn't. He's a liar!"

"Does that really matter? You kissed each other; you can't tell who kisses who."

They were both silent. Gardenia sighed, getting up off the couch and walking back to the bedroom door.

"Just think about the other people who got hurt tonight." She said softly, closing the door and leaving Candice in silence. She sighed, burying her face in a nearby pillow. Gardenia was absolutely right. She was being completely selfish, and there was no way her friends would forgive her. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath into the pillow, slowly staining with tears.

XXXX

Candice ended up falling asleep on the couch. She awoke at nine in the morning to blaring sunlight, and the TV playing softly in front of her. She slowly sat up, squinting and groaning lowly. Her eyes were puffy, specks of dried tears still caked on her face. Candice looked around, seeing Maylene & Gardenia in the kitchen, so into their conversation that they didn't notice she was awake, so she quickly laid back down, squeezing her eyes shut, praying for sleep—but sleep didn't come.

"So how're you doing, Maylene?" Gardenia said, "You weren't doing that well last night."

"Well no shit," Maylene snapped, "I found out my best friend was sucking face with a guy I'm really into." She sighed, "I guess I'm over it, though. After really having a conversation with Brawly last night, I realized how much of an asshole he is. I was trying to ask him what really happen, and he was saying how Candice was all over him, and how she was begging for sex, and other crap like that. I didn't believe him; because I _know_ Candice, and I know she wouldn't do stuff like that. I may be pissed at her, but I still know who to believe, and Brawly _definitely_ isn't one of them."

"So Brawly is off the list now?"

"Yup. I just need to talk to Candice and get things settled; I don't like fighting with any of you guys. Where is Candice, anyway? She wasn't in her bed when I woke up."

"Oh, I think she fell asleep on the couch. You should wake her up."

_Shit, shit, shit…_ Candice thought, shutting her eyes tighter, hoping that would bring sleep as quick as possible.

"Candice?" A voice said softly, poking at her shoulder. Crap.

Candice opened her eyes, turning around and acting as sleepy as possible, fabricating a yawn and a smile. "Good morning."

Maylene smiled, "Morning. I wanted to talk to you right quick."

Candice sat up, patting the couch cushion next to her. Maylene hoped over the back of the couch, landing gracefully next to Candice. "I wanted to talk to you about last night." Candice sighed, looking down at the carpet. Maylene gently placed her hand on her friend's shoulder, "I'm not gonna yell at you, I just want you to listen.

"Last night wasn't a good night, to be honest. I was really mad, and I was hurt, and I was confused. I just didn't want to talk to you. So, I talked to Brawly and tried to get the full story. Turns out, he's the biggest prick ever, and he's definitely not worth fighting over. I don't want a jerk like him to ruin a friendship we had for so long."

Candice looked into her friend's fuchsia eyes, filled with sincerity and love. She smiled, pushing her bangs away from her face. "I'm so sorry, Maylene. I shouldn't have done that. Let's just forget he ever existed. Deal?"

Maylene smiled, quickly pulling Candice into a hug. "I love you, _Snowflake_."

Candice hugged her back, a weight leaving her shoulder. "I love you too." She detached from her friend, getting up off the couch and stretching. "Now, to grab something to eat and talk with Volkner…"

Maylene frowned, "Good luck with that."

"I'm gonna need it."

* * *

After the girls got dressed, they decided to pick up something to eat from the market by the pier. There wasn't much breakfast food, but it was still enough to make them full. They were looking at the different shops lined up next to each other, buying little trinkets and souvenirs. Candice spotted a plush Jolteon that would be perfect for Volkner—it also reminded her to have that much anticipated talk.

Speak of the Darkrai, she turned around and saw Flint & Volkner walking towards them, laughing and smiling with each other. Candice tense, taking a deep breath and turning back to the vendor.

"So, do you wanna buy the Jolteon doll or not?" The man asked. Candice bit her lip. "….Sure, why not?" She placed down a few Poké dollars, taking the plush doll and stuffing it in her purse. Gardenia looked at Candice, noticing the pained expression on her face. "What's wrong?" She asked, until she noticed what Candice was looking at. "I think it's time, hon." She said softly, patting her back gently.

"Hey, gang." Flint said, throwing a glare at Candice. Candice tightened her grip around the strap of her purse, looking at Volkner. Their gaze met, but she didn't turn away. She took his wrist, leading him away from the shops and towards the sandy beach, the sun dotting the blue sky, the waves crashing peacefully on the grain. They both sat down in the sand, not a word shared between them.

"I think it's time I should explain." Candice said quietly. Volkner looked out at the ocean, avoiding eye contact. "That would help." He replied.

Candice sighed, "I'm sorry. What happened at the lake…It was stupid. Completely, utterly stupid. I don't… I don't know what came over me, but I don't like Brawly in that way. I love _you_, and I don't care about Brawly or his manipulative charm. I don't. I care about you, and I'm extremely sorry that I hurt you. It's my fault, and I know that. If you hate my, I understand one hundred percent." Candice looked up, Volkner still looking out at the sea. She sighed again, reaching in her bag and pulling out the Jolteon toy. She set it next to his leg, standing up and brushing the sand off her skirt, beginning to walk away. She gave one last look over her shoulder, watching him hold the plush toy in his hand.

At least one thing went right.

XXXX

The rest of the day was somewhat peaceful. Candice continued to hang out with Maylene & Gardenia, going to the beach to swim and just have some girl talk, or go back to the markets and shops. Candice bought plenty of small toys for her friends back in Sinnoh, bags of Wailmer cookies and Castform hard candies, and an adorable Meditite hat. Gardenia & herself both chipped in and bought Maylene a pair of Hariyama gloves, her reaction just hilarious. Gardenia & Maylene both bought matching Latias and Latios headbands, who also bought Candice a Snorunt jacket. By the time they got back to the hotel room, they were carrying massive bags and wearing all their souvenirs. Candice could say with confidence that tonight was better than last night by a landslide.

"That was so much fun!" Maylene smiled, flopping on the couch. The bags were already dropped off in their room, along with their articles of clothing.

"Oh, man, so much. It was entertaining to see how pissed the vendors looked when they saw we kept coming back." Gardenia laughed. The other two agreed with a laugh.

Then, the door knocked suddenly. "I'll get it," Candice said, calming down from her laughing fit. She opened the door, caught off guard by a blond boy standing outside of the door.

"…Volkner…" Was all she could say.

"Come with me for a sec." Volkner said, taking her hand and leading her out into the hall.

"What's going on…?" Candice asked, genuinely confused. Earlier, Volkner didn't really seem like he was in the mood to talk.

He held out an average-sized box, a smile on his face. Candice furrowed her brows, hesitating before taking the box. It was probably a bunch of crawly Weedles, or a Stunky in spray-stance. It had to be _something_ revenge related.

She opened the lid off the box, an Abomasnow plush doll greeting her. Candice smiled, sighing in relief; no creepy Bug-types or a smelly Poison-type. She noticed a small piece of paper pinned to the Abomasnow's chest, folded with Candice's name scrawled on it. She plucked off the note, unfolding it with her free hand.

_You're forgiven._

It was all that was written on the paper with a heart next to it. Her smile grew, looking up into her boyfriend's blue eyes. "Wait, is this a joke or something…?" Candice asked, her grin toning down. Volkner shook his head, wrapping his arms around her, "No, it's not." He quickly kissed her, the familiar feel of his lips exciting the dark haired Gym leader. She let the note fall to the floor, draping her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his blond hair.

The need for air became too great, so Candice pulled back from Volkner's tongue, a blush staining her face. Volkner chuckled, "Man, I missed that." He said softly, pulling her into another kiss. They were interrupted by squeals coming from behind them, causing Candice to break contact and turn around to see her excited friends.

"Oh, shut up, you guys." She said, burying her face into Volkner's chest. She lifted her head up, sparkling beige eyes meeting electric blue. They smiled at each other.

"I love you." Volkner said softly, kissing her forehead.

"I love you, too." Candice said, "And I always will."

* * *

XXX **Epilogue **XXXX

Alright everyone, the ferry is packed!" Cynthia called, the ramp falling on the pier. "All aboard!"

"It was so nice meeting you, Candice!" Glacia said, embracing her younger acquaintance.

"You too, Glacia. It was so nice talking to you for the past few days!" Candice said, letting go of her mentor. "Let's try and keep in touch, alright?" Glacia said, "I'm always here if you need advice."

Candice smiled, "Oh, of course I will! Thank you!"

"Candice!"

Candice turned around, Phoebe running up to her.

"Those five days went by so fast. I'm gonna miss you!" Phoebe said, clinging to the raven. Candice giggled, hugging her back. "I'm gonna miss you too, Phoebe."

"If you don't e-mail as soon as you get back, I swear…"

Candice laughed, letting go of the dark skinned girl, "Don't worry, I promise. And please get to Sinnoh as soon as possible!"

"I'm already counting down the days!" The two girls laughed, embracing one last time, sputtering goodbyes until Phoebe ran off to find Gardenia & Maylene. Candice sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and walking towards the ferry.

"Hey, Snowflake."

Candice stopped in her tracks, rolling her eyes. Not _him_. She turned around, an unamused expression on her face. "What do you want?"

"I was hoping for round two."

"You're not getting round two, and you never will, you pig."

"Woah, woah, chill, what did I do to you?"

Candice rolled her eyes, "Everything, you asshole. You almost ruined my friendship with Maylene, and my relationship with Volkner. You've done enough, now leave me alone."

"Okay, I get it. But before you turn around and never look at me again, at least take this."

He held up a small, clear box, which inside was a Spheal cake. Candice almost immediately dove for it, since she was absolutely obsessed with those things.

She tilted her head in thought, then looked at the blue haired jerk smirking at her.

"No, thanks."

She turned around, ignoring Brawly calling her name behind her, walking closer & closer to the ferry. She saw Volkner, standing impatiently behind Flint as he kissed Flannery multiple times. Wow, for five days spent together, they were pretty close. Candice smiled, walking towards him and grabbing his arm, spinning him around so they were face to face. "Hey there."

Volkner smiled, pulling her close to him. "Oh, hey. All ready to get back to good ol' Sinnoh?"

Candice shrugged, "I'm going back to a snowy town with barely any challengers. But, I'll be going back with you, so I guess I'm ready. I still really like it out here. I don't wanna live here, though. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I don't really want to, either. Let's just get back home." Volkner said, placing his arm around her waist and leading her towards the ferry. They were walking up the ramp, until Candice spotted her pink haired friend.

"Maylene, let's go!" She called, Maylene looked up at her, smiling and shaking her head as she continued to kiss her new silver haired boyfriend goodbye. Candice knew Maylene would end up with Steven.

But now, it was time to head back to Sinnoh, and everything would be back to normal.

She met so many amazing people, and one jerk in the mix.

Now, she would never have to hear the name 'Snowflake' ever again. Well, for the time being, she wouldn't. What the future holds is a mystery, just like a snowflake itself.

* * *

**I wanna know how many of you got the 'Speak of the Darkrai' line. Yanno how people say speak of the devil? I imagine that Darkrai represents Satan or some sort of devil in Pokemon, so I felt clever and stuck it in there. Arceus = God, and now Darkrai = Devil. Woo. XD**

**SO. GUESS WHO GOT/BEAT POKEMON WHITE?**

**THIS BITCH**

**RIGHT HERE.**

**It's such a good game. The gyms are sort of painfully easy, minus Elesa and Clay. They were kiiiind of difficult.**

**The Elite Four the first time through was a joke. I'm sorry, they were EXTRMELY easy, which is something I usually don't say when we're talking about Elite Fours.**

**The Pokemon I used:**

Emboar (TEPIG FTW.),

Unfezant (The male final evo. looks creepy as balls. I got the female one.),

Seismitoad (I don't like Seismitoad. It was replaced after I found a Buizel. It was pretty decent to use against Elesa's Electric-type gym, but other than that, no, I don't like it.),

Zebstrika (Replaced with Zekrom immediatly. I love my Zekky. 3),

Simisage (I do not like the Elemental monkies. They're stupid looking, and they're all around weak. No, I don't approve.),

Bisharp (Replaced Simisage upon capturing it as a Pawniard. Using this guy made Shauntal & Caitlin look pathetic.)

Vanilluxe (I DON'T SEE WHY EVERYONE'S HATING, I LOVE IT. Just because it may look stupid, doesn't mean it is. It's actually really good, it totally trumped Iris's gym.)

Zekrom (OMG ZEKKY POO 3 Zekrom over Reshiram any day. It learns some really cool moves, too.)

Floatzel (I caught it near the end of the game. I have one in Platinum, I'm a proud Floatzel user.)

**It's really sad that all together I've captures 6 legendaries. That's way too many for one game. And there are like, 5 others that I need an event to capture. I've caught Victini, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion (omg Virizion's cry is love.), Kyurem (GOD IT'S SO UGLY BUT I LIKE IT.), and Zekrom.**

**Overall, PLEASE get this game. So worth it. I'm gonna start it over soon, but start with Oshawott and trade my Victini over, and probably Virizion.**

**Alright, that's all for now. Expect a couple one-shots for a while. I need a break from multiple chapter stories XD**

**Thanks for reading! :D**


	4. Bonus Chapter 1: Deja Vu

**Welcome to the Snowflake Bonus Chapters, written in Maylene's point of view!**

**I've been stuck on ideas, and all of a sudden, I was just writing away, and it was just _Snowflake_, but from Maylene's eyes. It's a lot different, and in my opinion, WAY better. Hope you guys enjoy!**

**Because of these bonus chapters, you get to see:**

**-More of Brawly, if that's even possible. XD**

**-The developing relationship between Maylene & Steven, and how they ended up together.**

**-Maylene's true reaction to the Candice-kissing-Brawly situation.**

**-More of Gardenia, too.**

**-Less of Candice and Volkner, actually. Sorry. XD**

**-And much, much more of the Maylene we know and love!**

**She so cute.**

**ON WITH THE FIRST BONUS CHAPTER!~**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon, nor the characters portrayed in this story.**

**X 0 X 0 X 0**

* * *

Maylene stepped out into the bitter cold of Snowpoint City, a harsh, cold breeze weaving through her spine, making her shiver. She could handle everything…everything _except_ the cold. The Pokémon League meeting had just drawn to a close, and now, Maylene had to hurry back to her gym, predicting there would be an abundance of trainers lined up outside, so she quickened her stride.

_A trip to Hoenn… _The pink haired fighter thought to herself, reviewing the meeting that had just taken place, as her feet bounded against the frozen snow, the land slowly transitioning from snow to soft, moist land. She smiled to herself, picking up her pace to a sprint down the route towards Celestic Town. _I'm actually pretty excited for this…_

"Maylene, slow down!"

Maylene whipped her head around, her steady rhythm of running now ruined by her distraction, causing her to lose her footing and fall flat on her face. Maylene groaned softly in pain, rolling on her back and looking up to see a Torterra coming to a halt in front of her. She wiped her cheek softly, a wisp of dirt on her palm. Maylene groaned again, glaring at the Torterra. If it was some trainer, she would personally beat him to a pulp.

But it wasn't a boy—nor was it a trainer. A teen with orange & black hair stepped off her Torterra's back, giggling at the fallen gym leader.

"Gardenia…?" Maylene said in surprise.

"You're not very graceful, are you?"

"Oh, shut up and help me up." Maylene growled. Gardenia outstretched her hand, helping Maylene off the ground, who immediately began brushing the dirt off her white workout pants and her thin arms. "Thanks for breaking my concentration." She chuckled lightly, trying to keep her tone playful.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd fall on your face if I said something." Gardenia walked back to Torterra's side, patting its back. "Want a ride? I feel like I owe you now."

"Yeah, you do!" Maylene laughed. She shrugged, "Sure, thanks." She climbed up on Torterra after Gardenia was situated, leaning on a tree rooted on the Pokémon's back. Maylene stood next to the sitting Grass-type user, hanging onto one of its branches. Torterra began to pound against the Earth, the wind whipping through the leaves on Torterra's trees, and through Maylene's magenta locks.

"So, you excited for the trip?" Gardenia asked, bringing her knees to her chest. Torterra was now running through Celestic Town, the exit of the city just up ahead.

Maylene nodded, "Yeah, actually. I'm excited. New region, we can meet new people. Sounds like fun."

"It's the best idea Cynthia's had in a long time."

Maylene snorted, "You got that right. Usually, her ideas for 'bonding' are really lame. Remember that cookout Byron had at his house?"

Gardenia sighed, chuckling lightly. "How can I forget it? He almost got into a fist fight with Bertha! For the record, she was being a bit of a _bitch_ to him. I mean, really, calling out the guy's son? She didn't have a right to call him weak and stupid."

Maylene smiled. Gardenia had been dating Roark for just one month back then, and when Bertha began squawking at Roark & Byron about their family matters, Gardenia was ready to fight; she and Candice had to hold her down before she tore Bertha apart. "Oh, and we can't forget that slumber party at Fantina's villa."

Gardenia groaned, letting her head fall into her hands. "Oh Arceus, _please_ don't remind me. That was so embarrassing. I didn't think Lucian would find out about my secret crush on him!"

Maylene laughed, "His face when Flint told him! I've never seen someone blush that hard!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Gardenia grumbled into her palms. She looked up, the Veilstone City Department story kissing the horizon. "We're here, Maylene."

Torterra slowed down as it entered the city gates, walking past the Game Corner to Maylene's gym, where four trainers sat, looking bored and sick of waiting. Maylene jumped down from Torterra's back, sighing softly. "Thanks for the ride, Gardenia, Torterra." She patted its shell kindly, pulling out a small can from her pocket. She stretched the can out to Gardenia, "Give Torterra this Protein before taking off again, so it'll have some energy."

Gardenia nodded, "Thanks. I'll see you on Saturday, Maylene." She smiled, waving goodbye as Torterra trotted towards the city gates again, walking out of the town until they were out of Maylene's sight.

Maylene turned around, the four trainers standing up. She smiled, "Alright, who's up first?"

XXXX

The four trainers that waited in front of Maylene's gym were all victorious in battle, and walked out of the gym doors with a newly obtained Cobble Badge. She closed the gym after the last trainer left, walking up a set of silver stairs against her deep, blood red walls. A door matching the paint of her gym was directly in front of her. She opened it, revealing her bedroom. The walls were a richly painted forest green, her queen sized bed draped with a silver colored bed spread, two white pillows propped against the headboard. Next to her bed set a white desk, a sleek, black desktop computer nestled quietly on top of it. Her closet was also white, propped open just a tad to reveal her training clothes, and a dress hidden behind the series of white pants and tank tops, which Maylene only wore for special occasions. A full length mirror was perched against the side of her closet, reflecting the setting sun onto her wall.

She walked into her bedroom, placing her three PokéBalls on an end table by the door, next to two others. Sighing, she collapsed on her bed with a graceful thud, staring up at her ceiling.

"I guess I should probably start packing for Hoenn." Maylene said to herself, propping herself up on her elbows. Saturday was a mere two days away, and her excitement was boiling inside her stomach. She hoped she would make some friends, have some good battles…

…Maybe meet a guy.

Maylene curled together into a ball, blushing lightly. The thought of a relationship made Maylene nervous—she had never really _been_ in a relationship before. She never really had time for guys since she was busy as gym leader; she didn't know how Gardenia juggled that.

_It'd be nice to find a boyfriend…_Maylene thought shyly, burying her face into the silver bed spread. _Someone to laugh with, someone to have fun with…_Maylene bit her lip. _Maybe a first kiss._

She immediately pushed the thought out of her head, sitting up and looking at her closet.

"Okay, Maylene," She said, standing up, "You should be packing, not thinking about crazy nonsense like _romance_." She reached into her closet and fished out a royal blue suitcase, tossing it on her bed and opening the flap, sorting through her closet for clothes to take to the new region.

_I guess romance isn't _that_ crazy for me…_

* * *

Maylene's alarm chirped at ten thirty Saturday morning. She blinked, lifting her head up slightly as the morning sunshine poured through the window next to her closet.

_Huh, it's Hoenn day. Already? _She thought, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. As excited as she was, she surprisingly got a decent amount of rest. She grinned, kicking off her blankets and standing up, her toes digging into her sandy colored carpet. Maylene quickly punched at the air, roundhouse kicking and ended with a few uppercuts to loosen her sleepy muscles. Maylene sighed happily, "It's show time."

After Maylene dressed in white, long training pants and a lavender tank top, she slipped into her blue fingerless gloves and examined her outfit in the mirror. She reached for a jar of mousse on her desk which she usually used to style her hair into the upright points, but she stopped herself. Maylene reached for the brush next to it, running the bristles down her bed head, her pink hair falling chin-length. She pushed her bangs behind her ear, her magenta eyes staring back at her reflection. Maylene could feel a blush creeping up on her face—she looked…_cute_. She tossed her brush into her suitcase, along with her three main Pokémon, clipping a fourth PokéBall to her waistband. She sighed, rolling the suitcase out of the bedroom and shutting the door, trudging down the stairs and out of her gym. The early morning sunshine of Sinnoh was raining down over the bustling city of Veilstone. The plasma television on the department store building rang with morning news, announcing that the gyms of Sinnoh would be closed for a week, so no gym challenges would be happening in the leaders' absences. Maylene smiled gently; she would miss the pace of her city—never boring, full of friendly faces. She unclipped the PokéBall on her waist, clicking the center button as it enlarged. She tossed it in the air, the red light letting free a green, insect-like dragon Pokémon. It zipped overhead, spinning around as it landed in front of its trainer. Maylene smiled, "It's been a while since we've been together, Flygon." She said softly, patting its neck gently.

Flygon was a Pokémon Maylene trained before she became gym leader. The Trapinch it evolved from was originally abused by its owner, and it ran away without the trainer's knowing. Maylene had found the Trapinch curled up behind the Game Corner, on the brink of death. The Trapinch had no intentions of befriending another human to harm it, so it rejected Maylene during their first meeting. As Maylene began to bring it food often, bring blankets and pillows to make sure it was comfortable at night, the Trapinch began to take a liking to Maylene after months of trying to earn its love. For the longest time, Maylene trained & raised Trapinch until it became a healthy, powerful Flygon. Maylene rarely used Flygon, but Flygon had much more history with the pink haired fighter than the Pokémon she used for the gym.

"Think you can take me to Canalave City, buddy?" Maylene asked. Flygon nodded in response, taking her suitcase between its hands, bending down for Maylene to hop on its back. She wrapped her arms around Flygon's scrawny neck, the Pokémon leaning back and pouncing into the air, taking off into the sky. Maylene took a deep breath, closing her eyes and inhaling the sweet atmosphere. It had been a long time since she'd ridden with Flygon, and she absolutely loved the feeling of riding with it.

The ride to Canalave City was shorter than Maylene had hoped; Flygon got her to the dock where the ferry would be taking them to Hoenn in almost twenty minutes flat. She stepped off of Flygon's back as it placed her suitcase on the ground. She smiled lovingly, petting its head fondly. "Thank you, Flygon." She held up its PokéBall. "I promise we'll go flying together very soon. Now, return." The red light engulfed the Pokémon, Maylene clicking the ball against her hip again. She looked around, hoping to see a familiar face of the Pokémon League. She saw Flint snatch Volkner, his mouth moving a mile a minute. Candice was with Gardenia, chatting quietly. Maylene smiled, jogging towards them.

"Hey, guys!" Maylene grinned. Gardenia's jaw dropped slightly. "Oh my Arceus—Maylene, your hair!"

Candice cupped her icy fingers around Maylene's face, smiling brightly. "You look so pretty! You should wear your hair like this more often!"

Maylene chuckled, swatting Candice's hands off her face playfully. "Thanks. I decided to try something different instead of using my mousse."

"Well, I like it! It makes you look older, and it fits your face extremely well." Gardenia said, smiling. Maylene blushed slightly, flattered by the storm of compliments.

"Alright, everybody!" Cynthia shouted, everyone giving her their attention. "The ferry is ready to go. There are four rooms available to you, so split up with three people you're sure you won't fight with. The last thing the captain needs is things on fire, people frozen, and electrical systems fried." The group chuckled politely.

"Alright, all aboard!"

"Hello, Maylene."

Maylene looked up, a professional looking man with a burgundy suit and lavender hair smiling at her. Maylene blushed—for the record, Gardenia wasn't the only one that had a secret crush on the suave, sensitive, sexy Lucian of the Elite Four.

"I really like what you've done with your hair."

Maylene giggled nervously, running her fingers through her smooth locks. "Oh, thank you. I was just trying something different, I guess." She sighed lightly, "So, are you excited to go to Hoenn?" She asked. Lucian tucked his book under his arm, adjusting his glasses so they sat higher on his nose. "I guess so. Cynthia tried her hardest to get us a trip to another region—Kanto declined immediately, Johto never got back to her, and Unova gave a weird reason with their turning down of the invitation." Lucian chuckled dryly, "The lengths Cynthia has gone through to tighten the bond between Pokémon Leagues."

Maylene tilted her head slightly, herself and Lucian following the flow of the league as they piled into the ferry. "How long has she been trying for a trip like this?"

Lucian sighed, "Almost a year. A battle between her & Lance almost broke out when he purposely ignored her calls. She found that out from Clair, the Blackthorn City gym leader in Johto."

Maylene's eyebrow shot up, "Wow, ignoring her calls? That's pretty low."

"Yes, Johto is very fond of isolation for some reason."

"Everyone come up and get three room keys!" Cynthia shouted. Maylene smiled up at Lucian, "It was great talking with you, Lucian, but I better grab some room keys before Wake starts singing and holding up everything."

Lucian chuckled again, the sound making Maylene blush. "Well, you better go then. I think he's warming up."

Maylene giggled, walking up towards Cynthia, who was sorting through thin cards on the small podium she was standing behind. Her pearly gray eyes met Maylene's face, the blonde woman smiling sincerely.

"I love your hair, Maylene." Cynthia spoke calmly.

"Thanks so much!"

Cynthia held out three cards in between her index and middle finger, "Room 4. Right down the hallway."

"Thank you!" She turned around, her eyes falling on a big, bare back, one arm thrown in the air, the other on his hip. He cleared his throat, belting out extremely off key, "Crash! Crash! Crasher Wake! Crash! Crash! Crasher Wake!"

Maylene groaned, shoving him playfully. "Give it a rest, will you?" She walked past him, smiling.

"The ring is my seaaaa!" Crasher Wake belted in her ear, making her jump. Aaron & Byron chortled with laughter next to him. Maylene rolled her eyes, throwing up the middle finger and walking towards Candice. She extended the card towards the dark haired leader, who detached from Volkner's arm to take the key.

Oh, Candice & Volkner… The two had originally hated each other. Volkner would comment every meeting how annoying Candice was, and Candice would comment on Volkner's loner, stand off-ish attitude—but they both secretly loved each other the whole time. It wasn't until the slumber party at Fantina's villa when Candice finally revealed her feelings for the blond. Though the feelings were a bit obvious, they were also unexpected; but it was more unexpected that Volkner felt the same way. A week after the sleepover, the two went on a date together, and they've been inseparable since then, which was six months ago.

Maylene wrapped her small fingers around Candice's wrist, tugging her towards the hallway leading to their room. Wake & Byron began belting the Crasher Wake song again as Maylene & Candice walked by, who were quickly silenced by an aggravated Bertha. Maylene smirked. _Serves them right, _she thought.

"Hey, where's Gardenia?" Maylene asked.

"Uh, I think she's with Roark. Oh! I see them! Over there by Fantina and Cynthia."

Maylene scanned the room for a bright purple dot—otherwise known as Fantina—and sure enough, there was Roark & Gardenia. Gardenia was against the wall, her arms around Roark's neck, and his hands on her hips. They were talking and laughing quietly, giving each other chaste pecks on the cheeks and lips. Maylene smiled softly; a piece of her didn't want to interrupt the couple. They were so innocent, with Roark trying to keep up with Gardenia, and Gardenia helping Roark learn the ropes of a relationship. Even after four months together, Roark was still a bit awkward and unfamiliar with the gestures, the hand holding, the kissing; but Gardenia liked him regardless, and was just fine with the steady pace.

"Gardenia!" Candice chimed. Gardenia poked her head out from behind Roark, Roark turning around as well. Maylene flashed the two other room keys, motioning her to come on. Gardenia said something to Roark, who nodded, and kissed her shyly on the lips. She began to walk away, her boyfriend quickly snatched up by the Fire Elite Flint. Gardenia joined her two other friends with a silent smile on her face. Maylene smirked, letting go of Candice's wrist. "Why are you so happy, Gardenia?" She asked, walking down the hallway towards their room.

"Oh, no reason. Roark's just really cute."

Candice giggled, "Did he struggle to say something and blush?"

"Yes! How'd you guess?"

"Because that's how Volkner was when we first started dating. He wasn't as cool and collected as he was six months ago."

_Ugh, the relationship talks… _Maylene thought, sighing. She stuck the card into the slot on the door, hearing a click and opening it, three beds greeting them. Candice & Gardenia were still gushing about their relationships behind her, but Maylene tried her best to tune them out. Her friends knew Maylene was single, and they figured the talk about their boyfriends' didn't bother her—but, it kind of did. Her friends also knew that Maylene had never had a boyfriend, and whenever the two would dive into conversation about Volkner or Roark, Maylene would be in a sour mood; because…well…she wanted what they had—but she would never admit that to them.

"Maylene?"

Maylene was shaken out of her bitterness by Gardenia's voice, her bright, orange eyes gazing at her face. "You okay?"

Maylene smiled weakly, "Yeah, I'm good. A bit tired, though; I didn't get a lot of sleep." _That's a lie,_ She thought, _I'm just sick of your relationship talk_.

XXXX

After everyone was settled into their rooms, Candice left to go on the main deck of the ferry, while Gardenia went to go enjoy dinner with Roark. Maylene tried her best to keep herself occupied—unpacking, watching TV, cleaning her PokéBalls.

But now she was bored.

She opened the door, looking up and down the empty hallway, stepping out and shutting the door softly. Maylene walked down the hallway slowly, passing what looked like a small café, Gardenia & Roark seated close to a window, laughing over their meals and wine. Maylene smiled weakly, continuing on and walking into the lobby.

_Maybe I should go to the pool deck…_She shook her head. _Nah, those are only fun with friends. Maybe the arcade? Nah._ Maylene sighed. _There's nothing to do by myself. I could go train, but that's dangerous. I could go hang out with Aaron or Lucian…? Nah, Lucian's too mature. He's nice and all but…Eh. And Aaron is with those dorks Crasher Wake and Byron…_ Maylene shuddered. _That stupid song…_

Suddenly, Maylene was tapped on her shoulder. She jumped, quickly turning around and getting in fighting stance.

"Woah there!"

Maylene exhaled deeply, releasing her tense muscles. "For fuck's sake, you scared me."

Volkner chuckled, "I'm sorry. I was wondering where Candice is, no one was in your room."

"She's out on the main deck."

"Thanks. Oh, and Cynthia wanted me to tell everyone that we'll be there in Hoenn in the morning." And then he was gone.

Maylene frowned, the quietness and the loneliness seeping back into her skin. She didn't like quiet; or being alone, for that matter.

_I guess I'll hit the arcade…_ Maylene decided, walking straight ahead down a narrow hallway, a midnight blue room up ahead. She looked down at the carpet, a series of roses connected by the stems and thorns lacing around each other on a sweet beige background. Maylene smiled slightly, letting her big toe touch a red rose bud, following the path of the other roses with her toes. She was smiling a bit wider, enjoying this game she was playing with herself.

_Smack._

She was thrown to the ground, unaware of what just happened. The only thing she knew for certain was the headache she had all of a sudden. Maylene groaned softly, the heavy déjà vu clouding her mind.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!"

Maylene looked up, eyes narrowed with her hand over her forehead. A silver haired teenage boy was standing out in the hallway. He was dressed in black dress pants, a black vest over a salmon colored dress shirt. She noticed there were two rings on one of his hands, a darker silver color than his hair. He kneeled down to her level, blue-green eyes focused on her fuchsia ones.

He was…

…Attractive.

Maylene could feel a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"Are you okay?"

Maylene quickly nodded, wincing at her head throbbing after the action. "Um, yeah, I'm fine. Just a headache…"

"I guess the door must've hit you when I opened it. My mistake, I must've been in a hurry."

Maylene chuckled, "I guess so. You slammed it pretty hard."

The boy got off his knees, extending his arm. Maylene took it, standing up as she brushed the lint off her training pants.

"How about I buy you something from the café? I was headed there anyway. My treat."

_Okay, _extreme _déjà vu here…_

Maylene bit her lip, glancing at the arcade. Then, she nodded slowly. "Sure, why not?" _Better than playing video games alone, I suppose._

After the boy shut the door to his room, they began walking back down the narrow hallway towards the café Maylene had just past.

"I never caught your name."

Maylene looked up at him—he was surprisingly very tall—and smiled gently. "It's Maylene. How about yourself?"

"Steven."

Maylene blinked. "…You mean, like, the _champion_ Steven?"

Steven chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Guilty."

Maylene raised an eyebrow. "But why aren't you in Hoenn?"

"The ferry stopped and picked me up from Iron Island. I had been training, and I didn't have enough time to get back to Hoenn to catch you guys. So Cynthia had the ferry swing by and get me." The two reached the café, the hostess noticing Steven. Her eyes widened as she quickly grabbed two menus and lead them to their table. Thankfully, it wasn't anywhere near Roark and Gardenia, so Maylene didn't have to feel like she was intruding their date. Their waitress came by to take their order, and she was gone in a flash.

"So, I'm guessing you're a gym leader?"

Maylene nodded, tangling her fingers in her lap, "Yup, in Veilstone City."

"Oh, I've been there plenty of times. It's a nice city. Next time I'm there, I'll drop by and say hi."

Maylene smiled, blushing faintly. _Why is he so nice…?_ Maylene thought, twirling her straw around in her iced tea. _Being a champion, I thought he'd be serious and intimidating. But…he's really easy to talk to._

"Just warning you," Steven spoke up. Maylene looked at him, realizing that their food had just arrived, their waitress walking away. "I eat like a Grumpig."

Maylene giggled, "Don't worry, I eat a lot too." She admired the cheeseburger sitting on the plate before her, her mouth just watering at the sight.

"For such a small girl, I didn't think you'd order a burger."

Maylene shrugged, digging into her fries. "I'm not like the other girls; I'm not afraid to show people I can chow down."

Steven laughed, "I respect that."

She liked his laugh.

XXXX

Maylene thoroughly enjoyed herself at the café with Steven. After they ate their burgers, they ordered so many types of desserts that the table was stacked with plates. They shared stories about their childhood, and making fun of challengers that come to face them. By the end of dinner, Maylene knew a lot about Steven—which she didn't expect.

"Thanks for dinner, Steven." She said as they walked out of the café—surprisingly, the waitress didn't charge a single cent for their large meal; probably because Steven was there, and he's a champion and everything.

"Nah, thank you. It was better than being stuck in a room with Cynthia, talking about Pokémon for the whole night."

Maylene giggled, walking in the direction of her room. "So is that why you were in such a hurry to leave your room?"

Steven nodded, "I told her I needed to make a call, so I hurry up and got the hell out of there. She was _suffocating_ me—all this talk about gym leaders, and cities, and Pokémon myths; I just couldn't take it."

Maylene laughed, stopping in front of her room. The laughter died down, silence invading the hallway once again.

"I had a lot of fun. Well, minus the almost concussion you gave me earlier."

"Hey, I said sorry." He replied, chuckling. "But I had fun, too. Aren't you somewhat happy that I assaulted you?"

Maylene shrugged, smiling brightly. "I guess so." She slipped her room key into the slot, the door clicking. She turned back to the champion looking down at her. "Goodnight, Steven." She said softly.

"'Night, Maylene."

She slipped into her room, keeping the door cracked as she watched Steven walk out of the hallway. She shut the door all the way, leaning against it and sighing.

_That was way better than spending my night blasting at spaceships and monsters. _Maylene smiled, walking towards her bed on the far left. She was more excited than ever to get to the new region. Steven had told her there was a Fighting-type gym leader in Hoenn, so there was someone with a common interest.

"Oh hey, I didn't hear you come in."

Maylene turned her head, Gardenia stepping out of the bathroom in long, red plaid pajama pants and an oversized white t-shirt.

"I just came in."

"What'd you do tonight?"

Maylene bit her lip, flopping on the bed and sighing. "I went to dinner with a guy…"

Gardenia gasped dramatically, scrambling to lie on her bed. "DETAILS, DETAILS!" Gardenia shouted, shaking the pink haired fighter.

"Okay, okay!" Maylene laughed. "I was about to go to the arcade to pass some time, and then some guy slammed a door on my face. He came outside, and he was really cute. To make it up to me, he took me to that café down the hall, and we had dinner. And that's all!"

"Did he kiss you?"

Maylene's face flushed red. "No!"

_But I wish he did_…

After the two filled each other in on their nights, Gardenia was the first to crawl into bed. Maylene wanted to stay up and wait for Candice, but she was too tired. She decided to pack it in and fill Candice in another time.

As she was trying to fall asleep, one thought kept her up—_Do I like Steven…?_

* * *

Maylene was the first to wake up. It was about ten in the morning. She jumped up, looking out the window next to her bed—she could see land. Buildings, trees, Pokémon flying above it.

They were here.

She jumped out of her bed, landing on Candice's bed, who was sound asleep. She must've slipped in after Maylene had fallen asleep.

"Candice! Get up, get up!" Maylene shouted, jumping up and down.

Candice opened her eyes slowly, smiling weakly. "Why so energetic at ten in the morning?" She croaked.

"Because I'm excited! I get a training partner for once!" She did a graceful back flip over to Gardenia's bed, jumping up and down trying to wake her up. Gardenia woke up quickly, thrashing her arms and legs around. Maylene jumped off her bed, standing in between the two as she kicked and punched the air in excitement. "We're here, in Hoenn, a new region, yes!"

Candice laughed, "Maylene, chill out!"

"I can't help it!"

Gardenia smiled, "I've never seen Maylene so worked up over something like this."

The girls decided to get dressed and pack up everything, going down to the lobby of the ferry, others beginning to pile in. Cynthia stood in front of the door, a smile on her face. Steven was standing next to her, his hands dug into the pockets of his dark brown slacks. Maylene's gaze met with his, his smirk widening into a bright smile. He waved, Maylene waving back as subtle as she could. Candice poked at Maylene's shoulder, "I think you should try your luck with him." She whispered, smiling wickedly and pointing in Steven's direction. Maylene automatically blushed, "Candice! That's the _champion!_" She hissed.

"So? I can see you dating the Pokémon League Champion."

Maylene rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the champions. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Volkner whispering something to Candice. Maylene sighed. _I still wish I had what they do_.

Cynthia clapped her hands, "Alright everybody! This is Steven Stone, the champion of the Hoenn Pokémon League." Steven raised his hand, waving slightly.

"Glad you guys could come here. We're docked in Slateport City, if any of you were wondering. Overall, Hoenn is a wonderful place; I can guarantee you'll enjoy yourselves." He said. Cynthia nodded, "Let's get off this thing, shall we?"

She pushed open the door, the morning sunshine pouring in as Cynthia stepped aside and let the other people through. Maylene followed next to Gardenia, Candice close behind, walking out on the ramp and to the dock, two different groups of people staring back at one another.

_Who's gonna say something first…?_ Maylene thought nervously, scanning the opposite crowd in hopes of finding the Fighting-type gym leader.

"Yo!" A voice rang from the Sinnoh side. Maylene couldn't recognize who it was until he stepped forward.

"I'm Flint, a member of the Sinnoh Elite Four, Fire-types being my specialty!"

A red haired girl stepped forward on the Hoenn side. She smirked at Flint, "I'm the Fire-type gym leader, Flannery."

Flint grinned at her, "Care for a walk?" The two linked arms and walked away, the two groups merging into one. Maylene clung to Gardenia, searching the crowd for Steven. She found him, but he was conversing with Byron. She forgot—they both shared the type of Steel.

"Hi! I'm Phoebe!"

Maylene turned around, a tanned girl dressed in Hawaiian attire with two pink flowers on both sides of her head, a wide grin on her face as her blue eyes shimmered under the early morning sunshine. Maylene smiled back gently, "Hi. I'm Maylene."

Gardenia nodded in acknowledgment, greeting the girl with her name.

"Any of you guys like Ghost-types?"

"Nah, I'm more into Fighting-types myself."

Phoebe frowned. "Awe. How about you, Khaks?"

Gardenia looked at her with confusion, but realized she was referring to her khaki shorts. Gardenia giggled, "I'm fond of Grass-types actually. But I like the name you gave me."

Phoebe smiled, shrugging. "I try! You guys excited to be here?"

"Definitely," Maylene grinned, "It's such a beautiful day; I was starting to get sea sick on that ferry."

Just then, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, expecting Volkner asking where his girlfriend is, or Candice trying to play matchmaker.

But no.

It was a boy with spiked, aqua colored hair, a smirk on his lips, his equally aqua stare boring into her head. She gulped, his intense stare making her weak.

"So I hear you like Fighting-type Pokémon?"

Maylene nodded. He smiled, "Great. I'm Brawly, the Fighting-type specialist here. Care to spar with me?"

Maylene grinned, her excitement bubbling. "Um, sure." She turned to Gardenia. "I gotta go, I found mine."

"Alright, I'm gonna help Phoebe find Fantina. For such a sore thumb, she sure is hard to find."

Maylene nodded, waving goodbye as she followed Brawly towards the nearest route, tall trees and thick, soft grass greeting them. She inhaled the sweet scent of nature, letting her toes curl into the grass.

"So, what's your name?"

She was snapped out of her trance by the blue eyed boy looking down at her. "Oh, uh, it's Maylene."

"You're the first girl to use Fighting-types I've come across; I'm impressed, actually. I'm Brawly." He stopped, a broad meadow meeting their feet.

"What do you mean you're impressed?" Maylene asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm impressed you decided to go with Fighting. Usually girls go for Water, or Flying. Didn't think a girl as cute as you would prefer Fighting." He ran down to one end, signaling Maylene to go to the one on the opposite end. She blushed and obliged, one hand circling her PokéBall belt—a battle was sure to come underway.

"My strongest versus yours?" Brawly called.

Maylene shrugged, "Whatever works; either way you'll _lose_."

XXXX

"Lucario, Aura Sphere."

The blue, dog-like Pokémon held its palms together, a blue sphere forming between them, shooting it at its target.

"Dodge and use Arm Thrust, Hariyama!" Brawly shouted. The Arm Thrust Pokémon dodged the sphere, moving towards Lucario with palms out. Lucario dodged without having to be told, swiping a Metal Claw attack in the Hariyama's direction.

Brawly & Maylene had been battling and sparing with each other for almost two hours now. While their Pokémon fought, he would randomly come at her with a kick or a punch. Sometimes, he would be a jerk and make her laugh, catching her off guard for another kick. She was hoping Brawly would get tired soon—she was about to collapse. Her muscles were aching, she was dying with thirst. Brawly was about to call another attack, but he stopped himself, looking at the thin watch on his wrist.

"Ah, shit." He returned Hariyama to its PokéBall, clipping it to his belt.

"What's going on…?" Maylene panted, wiping the sweat off her forehead. She glanced at Lucario, who was breathing heavily as well.

"I gotta go find Snowflake."

_Snowflake…?_

"Wait, who's Snow—"

"It was great training with you; we should do it again really soon." Brawly flashed that charming smile of his, making Maylene not object to his sudden departure.

"Brawly—!"

"Bye, Maylene." He called, jogging away from the field. And he was gone. Maylene made a mental note to punch herself in the stomach; that smile of his turns her to mush.

Maylene sighed, walking over to Lucario. She patted its back, causing it to turn around and look at her, still breathing hard.

"How about I get you to the Pokémon Center for some rest?" Maylene said softly. Lucario nodded slowly, walking by Maylene's side as they walked away from the meadow. They walked in silence, since she was too tired to really talk to Lucario.

_Who's Snowflake…? Is it even a person?_

"Maylene!"

Maylene looked up, a boy in dress clothes walking towards her. She smiled weakly, "Hi, Steven."

"Woah, you don't look so hot. What's wrong?"

Maylene sighed heavily, "Sparing with Brawly…He sure is full of energy."

Steven smiled, "I'll walk you back to the hotel if you want?"

"I have to take Lucario to the Pokémon Center…"

"I'll take care of that."

Maylene looked into his sincere aquamarine eyes, a warm smile on his face. She smiled, blushing. "Thanks. T-That's really sweet of you."

Steven shrugged. "I can tell how tired you are. I'll drop Lucario off and you can pick him back up in the morning. Sound good?"

Maylene looked down at her Pokémon, who nodded in approval. "Yeah, that's fine." The three began to walk towards the town, stopping in front of the large hotel building, the light of twilight falling over them, the moon fading into view. Maylene returned Lucario to its PokéBall, handing it to the trustful hands of Steven.

"Thanks, Steven." Maylene said softly, fatigue beginning to take over her body.

"My pleasure. Go up there and get some sleep." He opened his arms, waggling his eyebrows. "Hug?"

Maylene chuckled weakly, clumsily walking into his arms as he squeezed her tightly.

_He smells really good._ She sighed contently, breathing in his scent. It was a mix of really good cologne, and coffee. She loved it.

He let go of her, to her dismay. "Goodnight, Maylene."

"Goodnight, Steven. And thanks again." She walked through the revolving doors into the air conditioned hotel, secretly watching Steven walk into the direction of the Pokémon Center. She tore her eyes away, walking towards a narrow hallway on the first floor, their room the last room on the right. She walked in, Gardenia's fiery orange eyes gazing up at her. She was sprawled out on her bed with a magazine, juggling one ear bud in her free hand. "Hey there."

"Hey, Gardenia." Maylene shut the door behind her, plopping on Gardenia's bed. "How was your day?"

"Eh, wasn't anything special, it was pretty fun though. Since I couldn't find anyone that shared my type, I hung out with the other leftovers. I met some really nice people, but I mostly talked to Winona and Aaron. We got lunch and hung out the beach; it was pretty chill. I also got to hang out with Roark for a little. How about you?"

Maylene sighed. "Tiring. But I think I like Brawly… He kinda ditched, though."

"What do you mean?" Gardenia put down her magazine, giving Maylene her attention.

"Well, he went to go look for 'Snowflake'. I don't know what he meant, but I'm positive that it's a person."

"Hm, that's weird."

"I know. I think it might be Winona, or Phoebe. Or could it be someone on the Sinnoh side?"

Gardenia giggled, "You seem a bit paranoid."

"Except that I'm not! I just wanna know…"

"Do you, by any chance, like Steven?"

Maylene tilted her head, pondering the thought. "I mean, probably, but I just see him as a friend right now. He's really sweet, and so is Brawly." _He gives incredible hugs, though_.

"What makes you like Brawly?"

Maylene sighed, burying her face into Gardenia's comforter. "He's really nice, and he's cute, and he's a good battler, and he's charming. Brawly's an all around good guy."

Gardenia nodded, stretching her arms upward. "Did you wanna wait for Candice, or head on to bed?"

Maylene yawned, walking over to her suitcase. "I give it ten minutes. If she's not back by then, then I'm going to bed. Brawly is full of so much energy that I was in dire need of a Hyper Potion by the time he left." She quickly threw on her pajamas, which consisted of blue shorts and a white tank top. She slipped out of her gloves, and fell back onto Gardenia's bed. The door opened a few minutes later, just as the two were beginning to nod off. Candice stepped through, leaning against the door and sighing heavily.

"Hey, Candice." Gardenia smiled. Candice smiled back, falling onto her bed.

"Out with Volkner?" Maylene asked. Candice nodded, "He wants to move out here…and he wants me to come with him."

Maylene & Gardenia gasped simultaneously, hopping onto Candice's bed. "Start from the beginning!" Maylene demanded, a pang of jealousy hitting her stomach. I still wish I had what she does.

"Well," Candice said, "We were at the beach, and I told him how much I like it here, and he's like, 'We should get a place together', and I was like, 'Are you serious?' and he's like, 'Of course I am.'"

Gardenia smiled, "That's so cute! All Roark could talk about today was Roxanne."

"Who's Roxanne?" Maylene asked.

"She's the Rock-type gym leader." Gardenia snorted, "The only alone time I have with him, and all he does is gush about how awesome _Roxanne_ is, how cool _Roxanne_ is. Roxanne, Roxanne, _Roxanne_."

"Awe, someone's jealous…" Candice cooed.

"I am _not_ jealous. Never. Why _would_ I be jealous?"

"You sure sound jealous." Maylene giggled. Gardenia glared.

"How about you, Maylene?" Candice said, "Any boys you're interested in?"

Maylene blushed, "Well, there are two. One of them is Brawly; he's a really cool guy. And the second one…" She glared at Candice, "Is _possibly_ Steven Stone, but I don't know yet."

Candice squealed, "I called it! I totally called it!"

Maylene groaned softly, "I know, I know. I have a feeling neither of them like me, since Brawly ditched earlier than expected to find 'Snowflake'." Maylene said to Candice, looking at her with tired, magenta eyes. "Do you know who Snowflake is?"

Candice was pale, quickly swiping for a water bottle on her night stand. "I'm not sure." She said, taking a long gulp of her water. Maylene shrugged, "I guess we'll find out eventually. We should get to bed."

"Agreed. Night, guys~" Maylene & Gardenia got situated in their own beds, Gardenia clicking the light off. Maylene sighed, her aching muscles finally relaxing into the soft mattress. The only reason why she could fall asleep peacefully was the scent of Steven still lingering on her skin. But, the only thing keeping her from falling asleep faster was one thought racing through her head.

_Who's Snowflake?_

* * *

**And there it is!**

**Just a heads up, STEVEN IS _COMPLETELY_ OUT OF CHARACTER! I don't know how he acted, nor did I feel like looking it up, so I just gave him a personality. I made it playful and laidback, since he seems like a bro. So, sorry if you hate it, but personally, I like the way I portrayed him. Sorry, though. I'll research more into characters next time XD**

**Yeah, it's a bit different from the actual story. Maylene's closer to Gardenia, so most of the stuff repeating itself is Maylene telling it to Candice. You can skip over it, I guess. Do whatever you like. XD**

**Hope everyone's having a good summer. This was a REALLY long chapter. About 7,127 words without the A/N at the beginning & end. Also, it's 4 in the morning. DAMN YOU, SNOWFLAKE, THE ONLY STORY THAT HAD MADE ME STAY UP THIS LATE!**

**lol it's all good. :D**

**The second chapter should be up in a couple of weeks. Bare with me, these take forever to write, because I get distracted REALLY easily.**

**You've read it, now please review!**

**Love you guys~**


	5. Bonus Chapter 2: Lost Puppy

**Okay,**

**I'm terribly sorry.**

**Why am I sorry, you ask?**

**This a very boring chapter. **

**Since the Johto part of the story mostly centered around Candice, It felt like I was writing this from scratch. So, again, I'm sorry if this bores you. I can promise you, the next chapter WILL BE BETTER!**

**IT WILL!**

**TRUST ME!**

**Oh God I hope. ;_;**

**Um, a few things before I let you go:**

**-I didn't write the red Gyarados scene. I honestly HATED that scene, because I felt like I could've did something better. If you're reading this far, then you should know how it played out. XD**

**-Maylene & food. A LOT OF THAT. I researched Maylene the farthest-the bitch loves free good. And I remember in HeartGold/SoulSilver how she was in the eatathon and totally kicking ass. **

**So again, I'm sorry, but I hope you like what I came up with. Enjoy!**

**(P.S. I finished this chapter at 4 in the morning. GODDAMNIT SNOWFLAKE, LET ME SLEEP.)**

**DISCLAIMER: I dun own Pokemon. If I did, it wouldn't be intended for children anymore.**

* * *

Maylene's eyes shot open the next morning, sitting up just as quickly, but the drowsiness made her lay back on the bed slowly. She had the strangest feeling that something was wrong—she could feel thick tension filling up the hotel room. She looked around the bedroom—Candice and Gardenia's beds were empty. They must already be awake. She slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The clock above the TV read 11:00. Maylene stood up, her lazy joints cracking as she opened the curtains to reveal the morning sun, warming her sleepy skin. She smiled, sighing contently. Her stomach growled, ruining her moment of peace. _Oh, I'm starving_. Maylene thought. She shuffled towards the door, yawning deeply as she swung it open. Gardenia was on the couch, while Candice was leaning against the back of it. They both looked at her with smiles on their faces. Maylene smiled back, stretching her arms upward. "Morning, guys~"

"Good morning, Maylene." Candice said. Her voice was a bit hoarse. "Phoebe stopped by and asked us to hang out in Johto for a while. She somehow convinced Wallace to lend her his Milotic."

"There's also a party tonight." Gardenia chimed in. _Damn, I missed a lot, I guess_.

"Oh, cool. Who's all going to Johto?"

"Brawly, Flannery, Roark, Flint, Volkner, Phoebe, Winona, and us."

Maylene's face fell. _No Steven. But Brawly's gonna be there. Now's my chance to look more into who the hell Snowflake is…_

"Okay. Can we get some breakfast? I'm starving."

Candice chuckled, "When are you not hungry? Yeah, let's go down and get something to eat."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Maylene said, walking towards the door and swinging it open. A woman with a grin on her face pushed herself in with a cart. "Room service!" She sang. Three plates were hidden under serving domes.

"Um, we didn't order room service…" Gardenia said. The three girls eyed the cart suspiciously. The woman frowned. "Well, I was told to send this to this room. The person who ordered it didn't give me their name. Sorry. Enjoy your breakfast, though!" And with that, the lady left the cart and exited their hotel room. The three girls looked down at the serving domes, different colored tape on the front of them. The middle one had light blue tape, the one on the left dark green, and the one on the right red. The girls were silent, trying to figure out such coding.

"Oh, I get it." Gardenia spoke up. She reached out for the platter with the dark green tape. "They match our type colors. The red's for Maylene, and the blue one's for Candice."

The two other girls shrugged, picking up their breakfast platters and taking off the lids. Each of them had a different breakfast in front of them, but that didn't matter; it still looked absolutely delicious.

Maylene decided to dine on her breakfast in the bedroom, sitting on her bed and watching morning talk shows as the sun stuck to her skin. Her meal consisted of boxing glove shaped pancakes, a bowl of Cheerios, a smaller bowl of cut up strawberries and bananas, and a carton of orange juice. Whoever sent the meal has to know how much Maylene adores bananas, or else they wouldn't of sent them. As she enjoyed her breakfast, she tried to ring off names of people who could've sent them the food.

_It's gotta be someone who's okay with myself, Candice, and Gardenia. I have a feeling it was Volkner, trying to suck up to Candice or something. Or maybe Roark, trying to be a good boyfriend to Gardenia. Or maybe…_

Maylene blushed at the thought.

…_Steven._

She wanted to invite Steven to join them for Johto. He could keep her company, since Candice would be with Volkner and Gardenia with Roark. But then she remembered; he's still the _champion_. He's got duties, just like Cynthia. Cynthia never got out often, so Maylene assumed Steven didn't either. She dug her silver fork into the pancakes, munching on them slowly, savoring the taste. _It wouldn't hurt to _try_ and invite Steven…_ Maylene shook her head. _No, Maylene, stop it. He's the champion, you're forgetting that. He probably has better things to do than go goof off in Johto. _She sighed, turning up the volume on the TV, DJ Mary sitting on a fluffy chair as one woman confesses her love for her sister, the audience gasping as the boyfriend storms off the stage.

XXXX

After the girls ate and got dressed, Maylene went straight to the Pokémon Center to pick up Lucario. After that, they walked outside into the afternoon light, around two o' clock. Four people were already surrounding the port they were leaving from, most of them familiar faces that Maylene recognized.

One of them being Brawly.

"Hey, guys!" Maylene said, quickly snapping the other teens' attentions. Her eyes locked with Brawly's, who smiled slightly at her. She bit her lip.

_Hug him._ _No, no, no, wait, don't. That would make things awkward. Don't. Maylene, don't do it._

"Hi, Maylene."

Maylene looked up, a head of sky blue hair and deep blue eyes looking down at her.

_Don't. Do it. No…_

"H-Hi, Brawly." Maylene opened her arms slightly, trapping Brawly into a hug.

_Why the fuck did you do that._

Brawly chuckled, hugging her back loosely. She quickly left his half-assed embrace. _He doesn't hug like Steven. And he doesn't smell that good, either._ Maylene didn't realize she was blushing—she wished she wasn't.

Brawly looked past her, grinning widely. Maylene looked over her shoulder, noticing his gaze was locked onto Candice. He walked away from Maylene and towards Candice & Gardenia, that grin still on his face. Maylene sighed, following behind him. _I'm like a lost puppy. Following him around, hoping for affection. _She folded her arms across her chest, hanging her head slightly.

"Hey, Sno—OUCH!"

Maylene's head shot up, eyes catching Brawly holding his foot in pain, Gardenia standing next to him with her hands behind her back. He whipped his head around, glaring at the orangette. "What the hell was that for!" Brawly snapped.

"Oh! Sorry, it happens sometimes. Something's up with my foot, I guess." Gardenia said casually. Brawly growled lowly, limping away towards Roark & Flint. Maylene raised a magenta brow. _What was that all about…?_

"Phoebe! Problem!"

Maylene looked up, Flannery running towards the tanned Ghost Elite, Duskull hovering over her shoulder. Maylene slightly eavesdropped, tilting her head in their direction.

"Steven came outside looking for Maylene. Don't you think it's time to go?" Flannery said, worry in her tone. Phoebe cursed under her breath, "Damnit! I guess we'll have to leave earlier than expected. With Steven comes Cynthia, and with Cynthia comes Garchomp, and with Garchomp comes trouble!"

Maylene's face relaxed, her mouth hanging open slightly. _Steven…he's looking…for me? _A smile etched onto her face, the thought perking up her mood. _He's…he's looking for me._ She thought again. Maylene bit her lip—she was contemplating turning around and hanging out with Steven. She had a feeling being with him would be a lot more fun than being a wheel.

"Are you having a heat stroke?"

Maylene looked up, lavender eyes gazing at her. She shook her head slowly. "Um, no."

Winona smirked, "As hard as you're blushing, it seems like it. Good thing I asked before I shoved you into the Pokémon Center."

Maylene's eyes widened slightly. _Oh Arceus, it's _that_ obvious? _"Oh, I'm fine, it's just…" She giggled nervously, "It's this guy."

* * *

Once everyone was situated on the Pokémon, Phoebe ordered Milotic to head off towards Johto. For such a large Pokémon, she was awfully fast. Milotic reached the beach of Olivine City in an impressive thirty-five minutes. Once everyone was safely on shore, Phoebe returned Milotic to its PokéBall.

"There's a bus coming to take us to Goldenrod City, and then over to Lake of Rage, so just sit tight." She informed them. Everyone decided to chill in the sand, mingling with one another.

"So, Maylene, you dating Brawly yet?" Gardenia asked. Maylene, Gardenia, & Candice were nestled in the sand, watching the waves stumble over one another. Maylene sighed, "Of course not. He barely even hugged me back earlier, and that Snowflake character is still prowling around here. I still don't know who it could be."

"There's still Steven!" Candice smiled. Maylene blushed almost immediately. _I guess I _do_ kinda like Steven…only a little bit…But I don't wanna give Candice the satisfaction of knowing this. She'll rub it in, like she does every time she's right about something. _Maylene sighed again, "He doesn't like me either. I appreciate the help, guys, but there's no hope for my love life."

"Don't say that!" Gardenia said, "Maybe we'll find you a Johto boy!"

"Yeah, you said that when we left for Hoenn. What's next, you're gonna tell me you're gonna find me a Kanto boy?" Maylene snapped. _Yikes, I was a little hard on that one,_ Maylene thought, regretting her tone towards her friends. _I tried to make it sound believable, but I guess my true emotions got the better of me._

The two other girls looked at her silently, Candice starting up conversation with Gardenia, the word _Volkner_ popping up several times. Maylene rolled her eyes. _Ugh, the relationship talk. I don't need either of you to help me find someone. You're too caught up in your own mushy love; I wouldn't wanna be a bother. A _wheel_._ Maylene thought coldly.

A small bus pulled up from the cobblestone roads, Phoebe calling everyone over to get on, and off they went. Maylene sat by the window with Gardenia, staring out at the vegetation and the people, the bus zipping by so fast that she barely got a glance.

"Maylene, are you alright?" Gardenia asked gently. Maylene tore her eyes away from the window, meeting Gardenia's eyes. The sincerity in her best friend's gaze was mesmerizing, immediately making her feel guilty about what she said earlier on the beach. She nodded, "Yeah. I'm sorry I snapped at you and Candice earlier. I was just…I dunno, frustrated, I guess."

Gardenia snaked her arm around Maylene's small shoulders, letting the magenta fighter nuzzle her head into the crook of Gardenia's neck Whenever Gardenia got like this, Maylene automatically missed her mother. "Don't apologize, I understand." She said softly. Maylene closed her eyes, sighing. "Relationship talks between you and Candice get me all flustered." She admitted.

"Then I'll make sure those die down a bit, okay?"

Maylene looked up at Gardenia, picking her head up from her shoulder. "Gardenia, you don't have to do that."

Gardenia smiled softly, "But I want to. I don't want my best friend to be uncomfortable. If the boyfriend talks bother you, I'll gladly pull the plug on those."

_I don't deserve her as a friend._

"T-Thanks, Gardenia. I really appreciate that."

_I don't deserve her at all._

Maylene turned back to the window, a piece of her feeling guilty. Gardenia practically glows whenever she talks about Roark; Maylene didn't want to kill that beautiful glow. She leaned her head against the warm window, the bus coming to a halt at a stop light. A Kangaskhan peeked through the trees, stopping and looking at Maylene. She smiled warmly, the Pokémon continuing towards Ecruteak City, the town they just exited. Maylene glanced passed Gardenia, looking at Candice & Brawly as they both laughed with each other. Maylene frowned, jealous of her friend's gift of being social. If she could talk to someone like Candice, she would have no trouble finding a boyfriend. Maylene watched Brawly lean in closely to Candice, a smirk on his lips, Candice scrunching her face together playfully. She whispered something to him, making them both chuckle to each other.

_If I were like Candice, I wouldn't be the lost puppy I am today._

XXXX

Once in Goldenrod City, everyone went about their business. Some went off to the Game Corner, and others basked in the golden goodness of the city. Maylene decided to visit her cousin Whitney, who happened to be the gym leader of this town. As soon as their bus unloaded, she jogged over to the Goldenrod City gym, where challengers and their Pokémon stood outside the door, giving their partners words of encouragement.

"Woah, that's Maylene from Sinnoh!" A boy trainer shouted, poking at his friend. They both gawked at her, an Ampharos and a Scizor looking at their trainers in confusion. Maylene giggled, "It's nice to meet you. Is Whitney in there?"

"I dunno, she's in the middle of a battle. We've been out here for two hours waiting for our turn." The boy with the Scizor frowned. Maylene pulled a face of disappointment, "You wanna take on all the gym leaders, don't you?"

"More than anything!" The trainer with the Ampharos exclaimed.

"Patience is what you need. If you want that badge, you'll have to wait until it's your time to battle, and when you do wait, it's worth it. If you don't have patience, what makes you think you'll make it to _my_ gym?" She chuckled. The two boys nodded in agreement, thanking her for the advice. She slipped in through the door, Whitney in the middle of a battle, just like the boys said. She had sent out her Miltank, while her opponent was using a Bayleef. Maylene walked inside, the pink and yellow arena almost blinding her. She walked over to the railing surrounding the field, leaning on it as she observed.

"Miltank, use Rollout!"

The pink cow Pokémon scrunched together in a ball, rolling at high speed towards the Bayleef.

"Bayleef, Razor Leaf, and fast!" The Bayleef began to whip the leaf on its head back and fourth, sharp leaves striking Miltank, but it didn't faze the Pokémon one bit. It pushed through with a powerful Rollout attack, causing the Bayleef to faint. The girl trainer frowned, returning her fainted Pokémon to its PokéBall. "I'm all out of Pokémon…" She mumbled. Whitney crossed the field, extending her hand to the trainer. The girl shook it hesitantly, confused by the gesture. "You fought really hard! You almost had my Miltank there, she was low on gas! I'm sorry, but you can't walk out with the Plain Badge today." The girl trainer hung her head in shame. "But!" Whitney chimed, the girl picking up her head. "You can come back tomorrow for another battle. I'll be waiting for ya!" The girl smiled slightly, waving goodbye and skipping out of the gym. Whitney sighed, looking down at her Miltank. "Ready to keep going?"

"I know I am."

Whitney jumped, spinning around and losing her balance, her Miltank catching her last minute. Maylene laughed, hopping over the railing and walking over to Whitney.

"Well, it's been a while, cousin Maylene!" Whitney grinned. "Last time I saw you, you had braces and a sleep walking problem!"

Maylene glared, smiling, "Hey, I got my braces off! And, maybe I still sleep walk a little, but I didn't come here to be criticized!"

Whitney giggled, "Oh, chill out, Maylene! What brings you all the out here in Goldenrod? And I love your hair!" Maylene ran her fingers through her straight, pink hair; she decided to leave her mousse at home and let her hair fall naturally. "Thanks. The Sinnoh Pokémon League decided to take a trip to Hoenn, and some of us came over to Johto to kill a few hours before the party we're having later."

"Oh, sounds like fun!" Suddenly, Whitney gasped, "Does that mean that hunk Roark is here?"

Maylene rolled her eyes. She forgot that her cousin had the biggest crush on Roark. She had only met him once, at the gym leader barbeque last summer. She had been visiting then, so Maylene decided to take her along. Just one glance at the Rock-type leader and Whitney was in love. After the barbeque, Whitney would always call Maylene asking how Roark is doing. Sure, she seemed like a stalker—correction; she IS a stalker—but at the same time, Roark was flattered he had a fan. Sure, she was only fourteen, but she was still a fan. Gardenia didn't seem to mind it either, just as long as Whitney didn't try stealing him away from her.

"Yes, he's here."

Whitney almost immediately sprinted out of the gym. If Maylene didn't have such sharp reflexes, Whitney would be halfway to Unova.

"Don't bother him, Whitney, he's with his girlfriend."

Whitney frowned, "Oh, fine. But I'm seeing him at least _once_ before he leaves. Where's your boyfriend?"

Maylene's eyes widened, blushing slightly. "Heh, heh… About that…"

"Oh, you don't have one? I thought you did."

Maylene shrugged, "Just haven't… found the right one yet."

Whitney's eyes sparkled, "I could set you up with some people! Morty's single, not too sore on the eyes either! I think you'd like Pryce's grandson, he doesn't talk much though. Oh! What about—!"

Maylene slapped her hand over Whitney's mouth. "I didn't come here for you to play matchmaker."

Whitney frowned, "Oh, please! It could be fun! Cousin Time is fun time!"

"Hey, think I could have a gym battle?"

The two magenta haired girls looked up, two heads of fiery red smiling at them. Maylene recognized both of them—how could she not?

"…Oh, hi, Flint."

The Fire Elite nodded in acknowledgment. "What brings you out here?"

"Oh, Whitney's my cousin. I was paying her a little visit."

Whitney's jaw was on the floor. "Maylene, w-who's _that_!"

Maylene laughed. _Guess her Roark phase is over_. "That's Flint, part of the Sinnoh Elite Four."

You could practically hear Whitney's heartbeat. "E-E-_Elite!_"

"Don't forget about me!"

"Oh, and that's Flannery, a gym leader in Hoenn!" Maylene said; but it was useless. Whitney still had her eyes glued on Flint, walking into the arena. "So, we gonna battle, or what?"

"Of course we are!" Whitney turned to Maylene, giving her a very quick hug. "Talk to you later, Maylene! Call me when you're back in Hoenn!" She pushed her towards the door, Maylene shrugging her off and shaking her head.

_A visit to Whitney is never boring._

* * *

Maylene exited the gym, the afternoon sunlight causing her to squint. _Since my visit was cut short, I have no idea what to do now…_

"Oh, hey, Maylene."

Maylene turned her head in the direction of the voice, a boy leaning against the wall of the gym, his hands stuffed in his pockets, and deep, sapphire eyes looking at her. "Hi, Volkner. You seem really bored." Maylene smirked. Volkner shrugged, "I guess I'm not good at hiding it. I was hanging out with Flint, and then Flannery convinced him to take on the gym leader, so I was dragged over here and told to wait for him. Were you having a battle, too?"

Maylene shook her head, "Nah. Whitney's my cousin; I was paying her a visit. I was kicked out, since she's in love with Flint now, and now I've got nothing to do."

"I'd be with Candice—if I knew where she was…"

Maylene shrugged. "I'd tell you if I knew, trust me." She sighed, "I'm gonna go grab something to eat. See you."

"Bye."

She began to walk away, looking for the nearest food place. She really was starving—and she missed Steven. Maylene shook her head. _Why are you thinking about Steven? Aren't you forgetting about Brawly?_

That's right—she had no idea where Brawly was, anyway. She could go look for him… But hunger was ruling her brain at the moment. Maylene found a little café by the bicycle shop, a heavenly smell lingering from its open doors. Her nose led the way, walking into the small building. Behind a long counter sat shelves of pastries and other finger foods. Her hunger was controlling her legs—she didn't realize she was standing in front of the counter to order until she heard a gasp, followed by a, "You're Maylene from Sinnoh!"

Maylene shook out of her trance, smiling politely at the teenager behind the counter in the green hat. "What can I get for you?" The female employee asked, "It's on the house!"

Maylene shook her head slowly, "Anything that sounds delicious to you, I'm starving."

The girl giggled, "I know exactly what to get you. Go over to the next line for your order." Maylene did as she was told, walking not even three feet away to the pick up line, tapping her fingers against the marble countertop. As many times as she's visited Johto—a grand total of three times—she had never come across this place. The place had a natural scent to it, inviting and cozy. There were several families seated to her right, mom's controlling children who were being slightly obnoxious, a woman dining with her Mareep, a group of girls with Jumpluffs gossiping over plates of mini pizzas. Maylene sort of wished her friends were here with her, Gardenia, Candice, and herself dining in the quant little café, chatting about life. A piece of her wanted to run out and find them while they were still cooking her food—but again, hunger made her stay.

"Your order's ready, Maylene."

Maylene looked up, the same smiling girl sliding a tray towards her, stacked high with food. Her jaw was practically on the floor, a fountain of drool flooding the linoleum. "T-Thank you." She stammered, picking up the tray and walking towards the tables, scanning the area. A few pairs of eyes watched her, probably hoping to avoid the awkward situation of having her seat near their table. Maylene trotted towards the back of the café, plunking into a seat for two by herself. She examined the tray before her, impressed with the employee's choice of food.

The tray consisted of all breakfast food. Scrambled eggs, five pieces of crispy bacon, hash browns, sliced oranges, a bowl of Lucky Charms, four French Toast sticks, three pancakes dripping with syrup, a mug of hot coffee, a glass of milk, and tied together with a small vase filled with water and a white daisy. Maylene thanked the legendary trio of Arceus, Palkia, and Dialga for such a gorgeous meal. She poked her fork into the pancakes, sliding the sticky softness into her mouth (Ignoring the sexual innuendo, mind you!) and chewed slowly, the warm goodness making her hum in satisfaction. She looked up, a few eyes staring at her in surprise. Maylene could just guess what they were thinking; _'She's such a small girl, is she gonna eat that all by herself?'_

The answer was simple—yes, she was. She shoveled more of the pancakes down her throat.

And enjoy every bite of it, too.

XXXX

Maylene finished her meal in record time; it only took her twenty minutes. She slumped in her chair, one hand around her stomach, the other bringing the last piece of bacon into her mouth, crunching on it. That was probably the best meal she's had ever since she left Sinnoh—room service had _nothing_ on these guys!

"Maylene!"

The now sleepy magenta fighter looked up, Gardenia & Roark walking up to her. She turned her gaze to the people that were watching her earlier. _Told you I could finish it._

"We've been looking all over for you!" Roark said. Gardenia nodded, "The bus is about to leave, so I had to come find you so you wouldn't get left behind."

"Awe, thanks. That's nice of you guys."

"My God, how much did you eat?" Roark exclaimed, genuinely surprised. Maylene & Gardenia shared a glance, chuckling to one another. Roark still wasn't over the fact that Maylene could eat so much. She shrugged, sitting up and stretching. "Enough. I'm stuffed." She picked up the tray, jogging back over to the counter and dropping it on the marble finish. The smiley girl looked at her, that toothy grin still bright on her face. "Did I make the right choice?"

Maylene belched under her breath, blushing in slight embarrassment, "Oh, yes you did. That was fantastic, thank you so much."

"I'm glad. I hope you come back again."

"Oh, don't worry, I will."

"Maylene! Let's go!"

Maylene looked at Roark & Gardenia, waving to her by the door. Maylene turned back to Smiley, "I guess I gotta go. Thanks again for the food!" She turned around and hurried over to her friends, the employee calling a goodbye.

"Everyone on the bus! To Lake of Rage we go!" Phoebe said. Candice was with Volkner, latched onto him as they got on the bus. The three of them hopped on the vehicle, Brawly walking in behind them. They walked to the back of the bus, taking their original seats—except Brawly sat near the front with Winona & Phoebe. _Did something happen…?_

"I'm surprised you're not asleep." Gardenia said as the bus pulled out of Goldenrod. Maylene smiled tiredly, "I'm just as surprised as you are. But, I wanna swim, so I'm fighting it." She yawned.

Gardenia smiled softly, "Go to sleep. The drive there should be a bit long, and I'll wake you once we're there."

Maylene held Gardenia's gaze, her eyelids beginning to droop. "Gah, fine. I swear, if you don't wake me up…"

"I will, don't worry!"

Maylene gave Gardenia one last look, tearing her eyes away and leaning her head against the window, shutting her eyes. While she was still in between sleep and consciousness, she eavesdropped on Gardenia & Candice's conversation.

"Oh, Candice, I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I was talking to Maylene on the way to Goldenrod, and she told me she gets frustrated when we talk about our boyfriends too much. So, let's die down on that a bit."

Maylene smiled weakly.

"Isn't that gonna be kind of hard?"

"How?"

"Well, we _love_ Volkner & Roark. I don't think Maylene should control how much we talk about them."

Maylene's eyebrows narrowed in confusion and slight anger. _Excuse me?_

"You know Maylene hasn't found someone yet. We're excluding her. Remember when _you_ felt that way?"

Maylene's eyebrows furrowed deeper, until she recalled what Gardenia was talking about. Back when Gardenia had been staying with her in Kanto for the summer, and didn't have a boyfriend, the two came back closer than ever. Whenever the three would meet up, Maylene & Gardenia would automatically burst into inside jokes and recalling stories. Candice smiled and laughed at the stories, but Maylene could tell she felt left out of everything. After a while, Candice would consume her time with Volkner, spitting a voicemail on Gardenia's cell phone saying, '_You two would have more fun without me anyway, since you guys are best friends now._'

Candice _was_ in fact the jealous type. If it came to Volkner or them, she would get sour if she wasn't included.

"…It's not fun to feel like that." Candice's voice was soft, probably because she knew Gardenia was right. "Okay, you're right, we should lay off. Even though Maylene will end up with Brawly."

"Well, I dunno if she will…"

Maylene was asleep before she could hear the rest of the conversation.

XXXX

When Maylene woke up, the gym leader filled bus was in Mahogany Town's Lake of Rage; bug Pokémon scurrying through shrubs, Goldeens jumping through the aqua colored water. Everyone released their Pokémon, the whole area glowing in a happy aura.

Maylene was wading in the water, a cherry red bikini clinging to her skin. The late day sun poured over her face as she floated on her back across the cool water. It was moments like these that she really appreciated nature.

Suddenly, she was underwater. Unaware of what happened for the first few seconds, she began flailing her arms and legs. The hands that pushed her under let up, making her spring up and gasp for air. She pushed her wet, fuchsia locks out of her face, looking at a snickering blue haired boy with a rather toned chest.

"Thanks for almost drowning me!" Maylene shouted, splashing him.

"Chill out, I wasn't gonna let you drown!" Brawly smirked. _Please don't smile. I can already feel my collar forming, with your name on the tag._

Maylene growled, but eased up and smirked right back at him. Brawly's face fell. "Oh no…"

Maylene quickly lunged for him, dunking his head under the water. His sky blue hair was soft between her fingers. She released his scalp, popping up slowly like a cheesy shark movie. He shook his hair like a dog, splashing Maylene. He smiled crookedly at her. _Oh no, here comes the smile. Lead the way, master._

"Bad dog!" Maylene teased. Brawly growled, lunging for her. Maylene turned around and tried to swim away, but Brawly grabbed her hips and tugged her towards him, her back now pressed against his chest. She gasped at the unfamiliar touch of hands on her hips. Her face was hot, guessing that it was completely crimson. They were both quiet for a moment—but the silence was pleasant. Maylene kept her arms folded, resisting from touching Brawly's hands. Her head was spinning. _H-He's holding me…I don't know if I can move._

"Woof." Brawly cooed in her ear, making the petite fighter shiver. He twisted her around so they were facing each other, smiling at the deep blush on her face. "Awe, I make you blush."

Maylene's eyes widened. "N-No you don't!" She stammered, looking down at her reflection in the water. _Oh, gosh, I _am_ pretty red…_

"Admit it~"

She looked back up at Brawly, "I'm not admitting anything to someone who can't beat a little girl at a Pokémon battle." She smirked coldly. Brawly hissed in fake pain, "Ouch, Maylene. Hit me where it hurts, why don't ya?"

Maylene pulled the cutest face as she could, eyes wide with her bottom lip jutted out just a bit. "I'm just a wittle girl, I don't know any better!"

"Rematch as soon as we get back to Hoenn."

"Oh, you're prepared to cry in defeat?"

"The one who'll be crying is _you_."

"You're gonna make a small girl cry? Heartless bastard!"

As she grinned up at him, he suddenly leaned down and softly kissed the corner of her mouth. Maylene's eyes widened, avoiding his gaze and trying to look at anything but his face.

"You're too cute to cry."

Maylene couldn't reply. _D-Did that really just happen…?_

"C'mon, let's go ruin Gardenia & Roark's couple moment." Maylene looked back up at him, that charming smile pasted on his face. His hands left her hips as he began to swim towards the couple. Maylene looked around her, trying to see if anyone else saw what he did. Surprisingly, no one—not even Candice. Phoebe & Winona were on land painting each other's fingernails, Flannery & Flint were being romantic and mushy while his feet dangled in the water and his girlfriend in the lake. Candice also had her feet dangling in the water, with Volkner next to her. She didn't expect Volkner to come in the lake—hell, she's never seen the guy wear _shorts_. Maylene sighed, dunking into the water, and swimming after Brawly, popping up next to him. They both sent a rather large wave towards Roark & Gardenia at the same time, Gardenia stare turning into pure daggers. Maylene should've stopped messing with them, but she was bonding with Brawly for the first time since yesterday; she was genuinely having a fun time. Roark started splashing back, until Gardenia latched onto his arm, looking up at him lovingly. He leaned down, about to kiss her—until Candice came out of nowhere and dunked Roark underwater. Brawly and Maylene bursted into laughter, while Gardenia glared at her dark haired friend, pursing her lips tightly as a smile cracked on her face. Roark popped back up, his deep red hair covering his face, as if he were from _The Grudge_. "Thanks, Candice." He muttered.

_CRASH!_

"What was that?" Maylene exclaimed.

A giant wave erupted from the Lake's center, a thundering war shaking the trees. Water Pokémon began swimming frantically to the water's edge. Candice looked up, her eyes widening.

It was a giant Gyarados.

A red Gyarados.

XXXX

The red Gyarados was taken care of with the help of all the Pokémon attacks combining into one, and with one hit, the Gyarados was out.

Maylene decided to get out of the water along with Gardenia, both of them walking back into town to change into their clothes at the Pokémon Center with Volkner, Flint & Winona, since they were soaking wet from when the Gyarados crashed back into the water in defeat. Everyone was drenched; they were the only ones who wanted dry clothes.

"So Maylene, what's going on between you and Brawly?" Flint asked suddenly, stuffing his hands into his soaked pockets. Maylene looked ahead of her, trying to not think about all the eyes looking at her. "Nothing's going on. We're just friends." She said, trying to sound believable.

"We saw you cuddling with Brawly." Winona teased. The group of teenagers 'ooo'd at the lavender haired leader's retort. Maylene scratched the back of her neck, chuckling nervously. "We weren't cuddling. We were just playing around."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say…"

_Fuck, _I _wouldn't have even believed that sorry excuse._

"So, you guys wanna know what I heard?" Flint said, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Oh, this should be good." Volkner said flatly. Flint threw a glare at the blond. "Anyway…I heard that the strict, uptight, bitch we all know and love—Bertha—is having a steamy romance. It's been going on since we got to Hoenn."

The Sinnoh kids gasped, laughing slightly. "With who!" Gardenia demanded.

Flint laughed a little, "Drake."

"Oh, dude, that's so gross." Winona said. "He freaks me out."

"_Everyone_ in Hoenn freaks me out." Volkner said, "Especially that Brawly guy."

"How does Brawly freak you out?" Flint asked.

"He seems like he's up to no good. I just don't trust him. He gives off that heartbreaker attitude too."

_Heartbreaker…?_ Maylene thought, suddenly uneasy.

Flint snorted, "You're crazy. He doesn't seem _that_ bad."

"I'm going with my gut on this one, bro. The kid seems like bad news. And I don't like how chummy he is with Candice."

"You should trust Candice." Gardenia said, the Pokémon Center up ahead. Winona nodded, "Right. I think she's a big girl, she'd know if he was bad news or not."

Volkner shrugged, leaving the matter alone. Maylene was impressed he spoke up, though, since he rarely opened up around _anyone_—not even Flint.

The group split up—Winona, Flint & Volkner went into a clothing store next to the Pokémon Center, while Maylene & Gardenia went into the Center to get into their regular clothes. They walked into the girls bathroom, getting in stalls right next to each other.

"Are you okay, Maylene? You got a bit quiet when Volkner started talking." Gardenia said, the echo from the empty bathroom rattling Maylene's brain. Maylene sighed, clipping on her bra and reaching into her bag for her training pants. "I dunno, what Volkner said about Brawly kinda worried me. How he's the heartbreaker type. What if he's just playing me?" Maylene bit her lip, throwing on a lime green tank top. "While we were in the water, he kind of…kissed my cheek."

The silence made Maylene uneasy.

"He did?" Gardenia spoke. "How did I not notice that?"

Maylene blushed, tying up her pants and stepping out of the stall, walking over to the counter with four sinks. She pulled out her brush and began to tame her unruly hair.

"How was it?"

Maylene smiled to her reflection. "It…It was nice, I guess. Just unexpected."

Gardenia stepped out of the stall with her usually gym leader attire on, standing next to Maylene and looking at both of their reflections. "I'm starting to get the feeling that Brawly may like you." She smiled. Maylene shrugged. "Only time will tell, I guess. Now, let's get out of here, this bathroom smells weird.

* * *

The bus trudged on back to Olivine City, and Milotic rushed them back to Hoenn. Everyone was tired, and in dire need of a nap before the party. It was about 5:30 when they returned to Slateport. Maylene stretched her arms up, humming as her joints cracked. "That was fun." She said, walking alongside Gardenia & Candice. Candice looked at her feet, smiling a bit. "Yeah, I guess. I just want to sleep." She yawned. Phoebe giggled, "Okay, let's all go get our Skitty naps and regroup for the party. Everyone shared their goodbyes, parting ways. The majority of the people went back to the hotel, some loitering around the markets.

"Maylene!"

Maylene turned around, a Metagross hovering towards her, Steven sitting on top of it. Maylene smiled, turning back to her friends. "I'll meet you guys in the room in a second." She said. Gardenia & Candice nodded, walking through the revolving doors. Maylene walked towards the Metagross, patting its head. "Hi, Steven." She said. Steven jumped down from his Pokémon, smiling at Maylene. "Where were you guys? I was looking for you." Maylene bit her lip. "We went to Johto to hang out for a while."

Steven sighed, "You guys know you aren't supposed to leave."

Maylene hung her head. She clasped her hands together, as if she were praying. "I'm sorry, Champion Steven Stone. Please forgive me!"

Steven smirked, giving her a stern look, "Just don't do it again."

"Okay, okay. So what did you do all day?"

Steven sighed heavily. "Meetings. So many meetings. Next month we're taking a trip to Kanto. Apparently, Blue didn't take Cynthia's call, but took her idea and tried to claim it as his own. They've visited Unova already, and now they want us. He's trying to avoid going to Sinnoh as much as possible."

"If he didn't return her call, I don't think Cynthia wants to be bothered with them anymore. I don't think Garchomp wants to be bothered either."

"Probably. You ready for the party tonight?"

Maylene shrugged, hugging her arms. "I guess so. I'm a bit nervous. I can't dance, so I'll probably embarrass myself. Who cares, we're here to have fun anyway." She smiled, looking into Steven's eyes, who was gazing down at her intensely. Maylene could barely keep his gaze—so powerful, like he was looking right through her. She couldn't hold in the yawn that escaped her mouth. Steven tilted his head slightly, "Tired?"

"Yup. We went swimming at Lake of Rage, I'm beat."

Steven smirked, "How come whenever I catch you, you're tired?"

"Because you have bad timing."

"Oh, you're funny."

The two were silent for a moment. Maylene continued to pat the Metagross's head, Steven sighing slightly. "I better head to the Rec center and make sure they're setting up everything alright. Save me a dance tonight?"

Maylene smiled, nodding. "If you don't mind having your feet stepped on, then sure."

"I'll bring my steel toed boots then. Now, go get your beauty rest. It's not like you need it, though."

Maylene blushed, a crooked grin forming on her face. "See you later." She turned around, walking back towards the hotel. "Bye." Steven said, mostly to himself. Maylene heard him clearly, though. She walked inside the building, her heart thumping heavily.

_Okay, what exactly happened today? PDA with Brawly, and Steven thinks I'm pretty._ Maylene exhaled heavily, slipping her card key into the door, the clicking noise chiming softly. She opened the door, her two best friends already sound asleep on their beds.

_Tonight should be interesting._

* * *

**IT'Z DONE.**

**If you made it to the end, I'm extremely impressed. Again, I promise I'll make the next chapter better! D: Yeah, I made Gardenia REALLY motherly. And I had to make Whitney a stalker. XD. I was actually going for part Justin Bieber fangirl, part Jun Motomiya from Digimon. They're exactly the same-obsessive and annoying.**

**I guess you see a bit more of Volkner in these chapters. Less of Candice. I'm in love with Volkner, I can't leave him out.**

**ALSO**

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ANNOUNCEMENT Y'ALL~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**I decided that instead of having the Maylene chapters stop at three,**

**I DECIDED TO MOVE IT TO FOUR~**

**So there's a chapter with information not shown from the original story, or these chapters!**

**YAY!**

**I actually wrote this pretty fast. Surprising. A little bit over a week. HIGH FIVE ANYONE? :DD**

**Alrighty, give me a week or two for the next chapter. I'm excited to give you guys something better.**

**Excuse grammatical errors and spelling mistakes!**

**Please review!**

**UNTIL NEXT TIME!**


	6. Bonus Chapter 3: Stay With Me

**Sweet Jesus, hello.**

**It has been about 3 weeks today since I last updated.**

**I am very sorry.**

**Instead of feeding you bullshit like, "I've been working hard!" or, "I was stuck on some parts!" I'm just gonna tell you the truth.**

**For about six days, I didn't even _look_ at this document. I've been on ff, but I wasn't writing anything. I've been reading. Like, _a lot_. I've been engrossed in Puppyshipping stories. (For those who don't know, Puppyshipping is Seto Kaiba & Joey Wheeler from Yu-Gi-Oh!) I'm kind of obsessed with this pairing at the moment. **

**Then I remembered.**

**"Oh hey, remember that story I was working on? _Snowflake_?"**

**So I got to work.**

**And phew. I got it done.**

**The document itself is 7,609 words (MAHLAWD.), so it's quite a long chapter. XD**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**Oh, and current time is 4:30 in the morning. FUCKING. SNOWFLAKE.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon... and I guess since I mentioned it, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! either.**

* * *

The shower beat down on her head, Maylene sighing in relief. When she got back from talking to Steven, she immediately fell asleep. Hanging out in Johto took away all her energy. She awoke an hour and a half later, her friends still sound asleep. Maylene knew how long it took for her friends to get ready for an event; so she took advantage of the situation and jumped into the shower, ready to take as long as she needed. She scrubbed her magenta locks with apple smelling shampoo, doused herself in body wash, and just stood under the flow of warm water raining over her. She sighed. _What if Brawly _is_ a heartbreaker…?_ Maylene thought, Volkner's theory crossing her mind.

_"He seems like he's up to no good. I don't trust him. He gives off that heartbreaker attitude, too."_

What if he was right…?

What if Brawly was playing her like a violin, and was having some sort of relationship with someone else?

But…that kiss…it was only on the cheek…Maylene bit her lip, the gesture playing over again in her head. But he stayed glued to Candice the majority of the day. The only time they were separated was the lake…

Maylene shook her head. _No, he isn't a heartbreaker. I have faith in Brawly. He's the one._

Maylene turned off the water, the only sound being heard was the droplets from her hair clacking on the shower floor. She could hear faint conversation outside. _They're awake._ With a heavy heart, she stepped out of the warm shower into the cold air, quickly wrapping a fluffy white towel around her body, the softness making her sigh in relief. She quickly wrapped the towel around her, taking another towel and wrapping it around her head. She stepped out of the bathroom, the conversation between Candice & Gardenia stopping, causing some suspicion. Maylene quickly put on a bright smile, "I'm so excited for this party!"

"Same." Candice & Gardenia said in unison, quickly smiling back. Maylene unwrapped the towel off her head, letting her pink hair fall over her bright fuchsia eyes as she fumbled through her suitcase. "This trip was such a great idea. Here in Hoenn with my best friends, some cute boys, and a beautiful city." Maylene smiled, gathering together clothes and walking back into the bathroom. She shut the door, leaning against it. _That was really tense._ She thought, clicking her tongue. Maylene let her clothes drop onto the counter, pulling into her underwear, examining the items she chose—she just grabbed random things and went back into the bathroom, the tension made her extremely uncomfortable. She had no idea why they were so tense, there was nothing wrong.

So she thought.

_Did _something happen?

Maylene shook her head again, picking through the training pants and tank tops for something remotely party-like.

After sorting through the pile, Maylene decided on a pair of black skinny jeans that stuck perfectly against her curvy hips, and a green stripped long sleeve sweater that revealed both of her shoulders. To complete the look, she snapped on a long silver chain with a moon shaped pendant that stopped at her belly button. She put on a few silver bracelets, popped in small silver hoop earrings, and she was assembled. Maylene examined her final selection in the mirror, turning side to side, staring at her reflection. She honestly had no idea where or when she got the outfit; nonetheless, she absolutely loved it. After she put on a bit of makeup and brushed through her hair one last time, she poked her head out of the bathroom door.

"Okay, I'm ready."

"Let's see!"

Maylene stepped out of the bathroom, giving a subtle twirl. Gardenia squealed, "Holy shit, you look fantastic! I've never seen you wear jeans!" Maylene blushed, putting her hands on her hips. "I didn't think I owned any."

"Oh, my, Maylene," Candice chirped, "You have _boobs_."

Maylene blushed more violently, slapping her forearms across her chest. Okay, so they weren't watermelons—but they were fairly large, about a C-cup; larger than anyone would expect, that is. "What, you thought I had a flat chest?"

"Your clothes are so loose fitting, I was starting to believe it." Candice teased. Maylene snorted, "Oh, whatever. Just get dressed, you two, we have to go soon.

XXXX

Gardenia & Candice took forever to get ready, just like Maylene predicted. But when they were dressed, Maylene confidence began to fade—her friends were absolutely gorgeous.

Candice wore a pair of dark colored shorts, a very fitting light blue v-neck sticking to her upper body. The 'v' was low enough to reveal a bit of cleavage, a thin silver choker around her neck. Her hair wasn't up in her usual braids, but brushed out and falling in front of her face. Her hair ran down to the small of her back, the change of style making her seem like a brand new person.

Gardenia didn't disappoint with looks, either. She wore an orange one-shoulder sweater, and a white mini skirt. Her hair was slicked in a stylish bob, the black underneath the orange giving her a sophisticated combination.

_Yup, I had a feeling I'd be they'd outdo each other_.

"See, that didn't take so long, Maylene." Gardenia smiled, slinging her beige purse over her arm.

"Can we go party now? I'm itching to dance!" Candice grinned. Gardenia, Candice, and herself began walking to the Slateport recreation center where the party was being held. Through the doors they went, the room where the party was taking place just up ahead. The three girls walked through, a good amount of people already there and dancing. Turns out, the gym leaders weren't the only one's attending this gym leader mixer. There were other citizens there, and some gym leaders from other regions. To Maylene's surprise, Whitney was there with Falkner, Morty, and Jasmine. Candice & Gardenia immediately ran to the dance floor, meeting up with Winona and Phoebe, who both were out of their usual gym leader attire, just as everyone was.

"Cousin!" Whitney sang, running up Maylene and trapping her into a tight hug. Maylene chuckled, returning the gesture. "Hey, Whitney. What brings you out here to Hoenn?"

"I got an e-mail from Flint, and he told me to bring some friends." She gestured towards the three other gym leaders standing behind her. "Guys, this is my cousin Maylene." Whitney nudged Maylene's arm, cupping her hand around the side of her mouth, leaning towards Maylene.

"Falkner's single. He might take a liking to you if you play your cards right~" Whitney giggled. Maylene blushed, glaring at her smaller relative. She turned back to the other three gym leaders, smiling warmly. "It's nice to meet you guys. Please, make yourselves comfortable, try and have a good time! If you want, I could introduce you to people with common types, if that should jump start acquaintances?" Maylene offered. Jasmine shook her head shyly, hugging herself. Morty shook his head, "Nah, it's okay. I know some people here." He called a goodbye and joined Byron and Crasher Wake, all of them grinning at one another. _Oh, good lord, _why _did he have to be close to that buffoon Wake?_

"I think I can make conversation." Falkner said, walking away from the girls. He joined Flint and Roark, quickly diving into conversation. Maylene smiled. _It's weird how these things work. You enter not knowing anyone, and you leave knowing everyone._

"Don't worry, Jasmine," Whitney said, wrapping her arm around Jasmine's shoulders. "Just stick by me and you'll be fine." Maylene rolled her eyes, "And when you get sick of her, you can always join me and my friends on the dance floor."

Whitney glared, "Oh, you're so funny, Maylene. I'll take you up on that offer later." She said. "C'mon, Jasmine, let's get some food."

"Alright." The small, cinnamon haired girl agreed quietly, following behind Whitney towards the food table. Maylene sighed, gazing around the room. She noticed Kanto leaders were here as well, since Blue was leaning against the wall next to her flirting with Elesa from Unova. _Woah, everyone's here._

Just then, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her stomach from behind, making her yelp in surprise. She wiggled out of the mysterious hold, turning around and glaring.

"Give me a heart attack, why don't ya?"

Steven laughed, "Sorry, I didn't mean to. I thought you didn't show up at first, but then I realized you weren't in your usual clothes. You look gorgeous."

Maylene blushed, smiling up at him. For once, he wasn't wearing his stuffy business clothes. He dressed in a navy colored v-neck, and a pair of ripped skinny jeans. The outfit flattered him quite well, actually.

"T-Thank you…So you own something other than vests and slacks?" Maylene teased. Steven nodded, "Why yes, I do. I'm still a teenager, I have to own a pair of ripped jeans." He pointed down at his pants. "When people look at me, they'll think 'rebellious champion', right?"

Maylene tried to contain her laughter. "Not at all, Steven."

"Thanks for reassuring me, Maylene."

Maylene smiled, walking over to the table stacked with a variety of sodas, Steven following close behind. "No problem. Say, how did you get all these gym leaders out here?"

Steven shrugged, "I didn't do anything, this was all Cynthia's doing. We were putting up decorations and food, and Cynthia runs in with this big smile on her face. I was like, 'Um, what's going on…?' and she's like, 'I got gym leaders from every region to come to the party tonight!'"

Maylene nodded, "I'm impressed. I've never seen Cynthia so excited over something. Just look at her, she's glowing." She looked at Cynthia, who was sitting down at a rounded table with Karen and Lorelei. Steven sighed, "Yeah, it's rare to see her this happy. Let's just try and not screw this up for her, or she'll be _beyond_ pissed." Maylene giggled, taking a long gulp of fizzy lemonade. She set the cup down, looking up at Steven again in thought.

"What?" He asked, noticing her gaze.

"Wanna dance?"

Steven blinked in surprise, "Um, well…"

"Didn't you ask me to save you a dance yesterday?" She pointed out. "Don't tell me you changed your mind…" Maylene frowned. Steven's aquamarine eyes widened. "N-No, not at all!" He quickly recollected himself. "Yeah, I'd love to." Maylene grinned, taking his hand and leading him onto the dance floor. More and more people began to flood into the party, but it didn't seem like Cynthia minded. It was a bit more crowded though, so the dance floor seemed a little more cramped.

"I can't dance for my life." Steven admitted over the music. Maylene shrugged, "Neither can I. But we can't just stand here and say we're dancing. Just waggle your finger and hop up and down!" Maylene demonstrated, popping her index finger up, bouncing from side to side, and going in a circle around the silver haired teenager. He laughed at her dance moves, applauding her when she came back around. "Impressive." He said. Just then, the song changed, fast paced and digital beats pounding out of the speakers. Maylene's eyebrows shot up. "Holy shit, I love this song!" She shouted. Steven stared at her in confusion, "I've never heard this in my life. I don't even know who made the playlist for this party!"

"Oh shut up and dance!"

'**Feels like, we've walked into the circus, where everyone is friendly, only on the surface…'**

Maylene began to sway her hips to the music, those months of dancing in her bedroom finally paying off. She kept her eyes closed, imagining her sandy colored carpet, her forest green walls. She felt a pair of hands tug on her hips, cracking open her eyelids and looking at Steven, smirking as he swayed along with her hips. Maylene smirked right back, continuing her steady swaying.

'…**They like, to think we pay attention, but I think I should mention, it's a common misconception…**_**'**_

Maylene couldn't believe she was _grinding_ with Steven. It felt so natural, so right, like she was meant to dance with him. The way she fit against his body perfectly, like a missing puzzle piece. The music continued to bump, but she stayed glued to Steven, his hands wondering up and down her sides as the music took control over them. A slow part of the song came on, Maylene opening her eyes, pulling her rump away from his crotch.

'…**We don't stop, we don't care, throw your hands up in the atmosphere. It's been so long and I've been here, waiting just to get you near…'**

"Fuck, I'm sorry…" Maylene muttered, blushing and looking down at her feet. Steven gripped her upper arms, staring into her eyes, a goofy grin on his face. "Why are you apologizing? That was the most fun I've had dancing in my life!"

Maylene grinned right back at him, "I'm glad!"

'…**Stay with me. I know you and I belong like this together, baby. All the while, we go out, they can run their mouths…'**

"Shall we finish?"

'…**But they don't understand, all we do is pretend.'**

Maylene smiled, "Yes, we shall."

* * *

The grinding with Steven came to a close as the song slowly faded out. He quickly embraced her as the song ended, muttering thank you's for making this the best night of his life. Maylene was now sitting at a table with Gardenia, Winona, and Phoebe. Candice had ran off to somewhere, and the girls were too tired to track her down.

"So, we got ourselves a dancing queen!" Winona teased, her pun going along with the now playing song's chorus.

'**See that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the dancing queen!**'

Maylene smiled, "Eh, it was nothing."

Gardenia laughed, "Nothing? You were practically humping him on the dance floor!"

Phoebe agreed, "You were really tearing up the floor…and Steven."

Maylene blushed, "Oh shut up you guys!" A new song came on, but it wasn't a fast paced song. It was calmer, the lyrics poured out smoothly.

**'Last night, I had a dream about you. In this dream, I'm dancing right beside you…'**

Gardenia sighed, "I better go find Roark. He promised me a slow dance." She called a goodbye, going off to find her boyfriend. Falkner had come by to ask Winona to dance, and Phoebe was asked by Morty, leaving Maylene by herself.

'…**And it looked, like everyone was having fun. The kind of feeling, I waited so long…'**

Maylene sighed, looking at her empty cup. She was having a good time, but a piece of her wanted a boy to ask her to dance. It could be any boy; she just wanted to be held. Well, it could be any guy, but she wanted it to Steven…or Brawly.

_Where _is_ Brawly, come to think of it?_

"Hi, Maylene."

As if he had been reading her mind, Brawly sat down in a chair next to her. She looked at him, her eyes brightening, smiling wide. Her smile automatically twitched downward in worry when she noticed the purple bruise above his right eye. She gasped, scooting her chair closer and cupping his face in her hands; his cheeks were hot. "Brawly, what happened?"

'…**Don't stop, come a little closer. As we jam, the rhythm gets stronger…'**

Brawly shrugged, moving away from her hands. "It's no big deal, I just got into a little fight."

"A fight? With who?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

Maylene gave him a hard look. "Brawly, it's not nothing with a shiner like this. Tell me what happened."

Brawly avoided her gaze, but she reached out and cupped his face again, forcing him to look at her. He sighed heavily. "I got into a bit of a fight with Volkner."

Maylene raised an eyebrow, "Volkner? He's the least violent person I know. Why would he hit you…?"

"Because I kissed Candice, and he got a bit angry."

Wait…kissed…?

'…**There's nothing wrong, with just a little, little fun. We were dancing, all night long…'**

Maylene's hands left his face, shock taking over her fuchsia eyes. "You…" She could barely get the words out. "You…kissed Candice?" She said softly.

"Yeah. She didn't tell me she had a boyfriend, though."

Maylene looked at her hands, her eyes stinging. She shut them, a few tears dropping onto her palms.

'…**The time is right, to put my arms around you. You're feeling right, you wrap your arms around too…'**

Maylene quickly snapped her head back up, Brawly's innocent eyes staring back at her. She glanced at the door, Candice walking inside, smiling at Maylene. Maylene bit the inside of her cheek, hoping that would shut her up, in case she screamed profanities across the room. "Excuse me for a second." She muttered, standing up and walking towards her soon-to-be-ex best friend.

'…**But suddenly, I feel the shining sun. Before I knew it, this dream was all gone…'**

"Wanna tell me why Brawly just told me you kissed him?" Maylene said, giving Candice a hard look. She didn't want her to see through her strong expression to see she was about to break down any second now. Candice's eyes widened slightly, her eyebrows furrowing. "What? He's lying, he kissed me!"

"That's not what Brawly told me." Maylene tried her hardest not to snap.

"Maylene, I can tell you right now, that he made the move first. Don't believe him!" Candice pleaded. The small fighter remained quiet, crossing her arms over her chest.

'…**Oh, I dunno what to do. About this dream and you. I wish this dream comes true…'**

"I dunno who to believe." Maylene pushed past Candice, walking out into the hallway. She walked into a different hallway, plopping down on a nearby bench. Without any control, Maylene bursted into a sob, holding her hand over her mouth so she didn't cry too loudly. _Candice knew I was into Brawly, yet she goes and canoodles with him. She's always there to take something away from me. Always._

"Maylene, are you okay?"

Maylene swiped her hand across her cheeks, wiping away the tears as quickly as possible. "Um, yeah," She replied, knowing whose voice it was. "I'm fine." _No you're not. Fucking liar._

Brawly sat next to her, resting his elbows on his knees. Maylene looked at him. "Can you tell me what happened?" Brawly sighed, "She just…she threw herself at me, to be honest. We were just walking around in Goldenrod, and she was like, 'I really like you Brawly', and then she just kisses me. I didn't see it coming, honestly. It didn't seem like she liked me very much. After that kiss, she tried to push me into the Pokémon Center and have sex with me. It was all…rushed and…weird. I thought Candice was classier than that."

Maylene blinked. "…What?"

Brawly looked back at her with wide eyes, "I'm dead serious, Maylene. Your friend was really horny." He sighed again, shaking his head. Maylene tilted her head, "So you had sex with her?"

"No! She _tried_ to get me in bed with her. I was like, 'No, Candice, this is wrong!' and she was like, 'I don't care, I want you'. It was…again, really _weird_." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "And that's the full story. I'm gonna go back to the party." And he walked away from her. Maylene shook her head. _He's so full of shit. Candice isn't like that. He just fed me a platter of _lies_ and expected me to believe it._ She could feel more tears streaming down her face as she took a sharp, shaky inhale. _He didn't even bother to comfort me. What a jerk._ She began to sob again, as quietly as she could, so she wouldn't attract any unwanted attention.

"Maylene?"

_If it's Brawly again, I swear to Arceus…_ Maylene looked up, relieved to see it wasn't him—it was Steven, who looked extremely worried. He jogged over to her, sliding next to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She immediately rested her head into his chest, sobbing into his shirt. Steven rubbed upper arm, shushing her softly. Maylene continued to cry, angry about practically everything. Angry with Candice, with Brawly, with herself. She wanted to go back to her city of Veilstone, back to her gym, faraway from Candice, and Brawly's lies. She looked up at Steven, sniffling. He looked down at her, meeting her gaze and smiling softly. "Tell me what happened." He asked gently. Maylene sat up, still sticking close to Steven, his hand moving down around her waist. She was ready to spill her heart out, but she stopped herself.

"I'm just…" She took in a shaky breath. "I'm just sick of liars. I was lied to, right to my face. I was hurt by Candice," Maylene paused to sniffle again, "And Brawly, who I thought I was into didn't care if I was upset." She chuckled bitterly. "No one cares about me, do they?"

Steven shook his head, "Maylene, don't say—"

She cut him off. "Everyone's going off and worrying about their boyfriends. No one cares how I feel. They're all the same. They're all abandoning me."

"Maylene—"

"They have better things to do than to stick around with annoying, single, little old me."

"Maylene—!"

"I'm holding them back, that's all I'm good for—"

"MAYLENE."

Maylene stopped talking, looking up at Steven, who was tightly grabbing her shoulders. She gave him her attention.

"Stop talking like that. Seriously, stop. You're none of those things. People care about you. What happened to the strong Maylene I met on the ferry? Where is she?" Steven paused, locking eyes with Maylene. She looked away, but Steven cupped her cheek in his hand, lifting her face up so she could look him in the eyes. He continued.

"I want you to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop thinking that because one good-looking guy doesn't want you, your life is over. Keep your head so fucking high that your nose touches the damn moon. I want you to forget about that asshole, I want you to dry your face, and I want you to just say 'fuck it, this isn't worth it'." He paused again, noticing her eyes becoming moist again. He sighed, loosening his grip on her shoulders. Steven panted softly. "There are other guys out there who care a whole lot more about you than Brawly." He stood up turning around, and beginning to walk away. Maylene's eyes widened, quickly snatching his wrist. Steven stopped walking, turning around and looking at her. She gritted her teeth, inhaling and exhaling sharply. "…Y-You're right." She managed to say. She looked directly into his blue-green eyes, "You're one-hundred percent right." Maylene looked to the floor, still hanging onto Steven. She shut her eyes, pleading in almost a whisper, "Just…please don't leave me when I need you the most."

Steven looked at the magenta haired girl, who was crumbling on the bench into nothing. He yanked her off the bench, quickly squeezing her into his arms. Maylene continued to cry into his chest, repeating over and over again, "You're right…you're right…"

After a few minutes, she lifted her head off Steven's chest, staring up at him with puffy eyes. He smiled softly, touching her cheek, thumb grazing over the tears still stuck to her face. She smiled back. "Thank you, Steven. I needed that. What you said." She sighed, resting her forehead on his chest again. "I seemed really weak back there, didn't I?"

Steven chuckled quietly, "A little bit. Just… don't ever say no one cares about you, okay?" He removed his hand from her cheek, slender fingers running through her hair. "Because I care, and I'll never stop caring."

Maylene smiled, a little bit wider because of her newfound happiness, and pressed herself against the boy, arms wrapping around him. Steven smiled, responding to her hug with a big squeeze around her shoulders. "You're good to me." She said, a bit muffled due to the force of the hug. He released her, lacing his fingers around hers. "Let's go back into the party. Just avoid Candice & Brawly, they should be the last people you want to see."

"Got that right." The two walked back into the party room, hand in hand, an even paced song playing. Maylene knew the song, and she now had the urge to dance. Steven gave her slight push, grinning down at her. "What're you waiting for? Go dance."

Maylene didn't have to be told twice. She untangled her fingers from his, sputtering another thank you, and ran to the dance floor. She found Gardenia jumping up and down with Winona, Skyla, and Janine. Maylene tapped on Gardenia's shoulder, who turned around and smiled brightly at her.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" Gardenia asked, lowering her voice a bit, "I know about what happened."

Maylene shrugged, moving her shoulders back and forth to the beat of the song. "Nah, don't worry about it! I got some really good advice from a friend, so I'm kind of over it now!" She glanced in Steven's direction, who was socializing with Flint & Volkner. "I kind of don't wanna talk to Candice right now." She admitted. Gardenia nodded, "I totally understand. For now, let's just have a good time. I can't say the same for Candice, she refuses to get out of her seat. She's sulking."

Maylene shrugged, "She deserves it right now, yanno?" She swayed her hips to the song, watching Gardenia bounce and sway along with her, both of them laughing at how stupid they looked.

'**If you wanna get with me, there's some things you gotta know. I like my beats fast, and my bass down low.'**

* * *

The party ended around one in the morning. Maylene continued to enjoy herself, and not let Brawly nor Candice take over her mind. She stayed glued to Gardenia, or Phoebe, and danced as much as she could. It's as if all her sadness and frustration were draining through her feet and out her toes, deep into the multicolored dance floor. Everyone exited the rec center either sweaty, happy-go-lucky, or a bit drunk. Nonetheless, the party was a huge success, and it was decided that these mixers would happen a lot more often.

"I can't feel my legs…" Winona complained. Maylene, Winona, and Gardenia were walking out of the center together, the idea of sleep sounding very good right now. "I've never seen anyone dance as hard as you, Winona." Gardenia said. "Oh! Did you get Falkner's number?"

Winona nodded, "Yeah, I did. God, he's the sweetest thing ever."

"You were calling me the dancing queen, but you grinded on Falkner and Blue. You little skank…" Maylene teased. Winona shrugged, "See, when I was dancing with Blue, we both were a bit tipsy, so it just happened. We were both clumsy and it wasn't all that great. He's still extremely attractive though."

"Agreed." Maylene & Gardenia said in unison. Maylene looked around the darkened city, the stars glimmering up above. She looked to her right, noticing Steven standing on one of the piers leading out to the ocean. She turned to Gardenia & Winona. "I'll meet you back in the room, Gardenia." She said. The two nodded, sharing a goodnight hug and parted in different directions. Once Maylene reached Steven, she walked up behind him and covered his eyes with her hands.

"Guess who?" Maylene cooed. Sure, it was a bit cheesy. She was in a good mood, it didn't matter.

"Mr. T?" Steven guessed.

"I pity the fool!" Maylene said in her best Mr. T voice. Steven removed her hands from his face, spinning around and grinning at her. "I wanted to thank you again for earlier," She said, crossing her arms behind her back. "You really helped me out."

"Nah, don't thank me, I wanted to help you. I don't like to see you cry."

"Hey, I have a question."

"Shoot."

Maylene looked down at the wooden dock beneath them, biting her lip. "Did…did you mean it when you said you'd never stop caring about me?" She gazed up at him, the moonlight shining down on the blush staining her cheeks. Steven smiled, stepping closer to her.

"Yes, I did. Every single word."

And with that, his hands circled around her waist, pulling her against him as he placed a tender kiss on her lips. Maylene kissed back, draping her arms around his neck. Steven ran his tongue along her bottom lip, Maylene giving him permission to dive his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. His tongue explored every crevice of Maylene's mouth, and Maylene enjoyed every second of it.

Steven pulled away from her lips, panting softly. Maylene stood there, her eyes slowly fluttering until completely open, a dazed expression on her face. A silly grin stretched on her face.

"My God, you don't understand how long I've been wanting to do that." Steven said, chuckling in embarrassment. Maylene didn't reply; she got up on her tiptoes and gave him another soft kiss. "Goodnight, Steven." She said softly. Steven planted another kiss on her forehead, "Goodnight, Maylene." She turned on her heels and began to walk in the direction of her hotel, leaving the silver haired teen smiling to himself. Maylene's fingertips brushed against her lips, a smile dancing across her face. Her first kiss had been taken from her, just like that; but she could trust the boy who took it. One hundred percent.

XXXX

Maylene's eyes slowly opened, the bright light of morning raining from behind the curtains. The memories of last night were fading her brain again—the dancing, the crying, the…kissing.

Maylene sat up in the bed, bringing her knees to her chest. I was kissed last night. The thought made her grin, burying her face into her pajama pants.

After the kiss, the second she was in the hotel building, she was squealing in excitement. He kissed me! He actually kissed me! She pushed the door to her room softly, the lights already off. _Gah, fuck_. Maylene thought, jutting her bottom lip out and sighing, a piece of her bangs flying up. _Tiptoe mode: activate._

After tripping over almost everything she could, she managed to crawl into bed and automatically fall into a deep sleep.

Maylene sighed, rolling her eyes at her own clumsiness. She swung her legs off the bed, wincing in pain. Remind me to never dance that hard again. She thought, walking out of the bedroom. She rubbed her eyes, yawning, "Morning, Gardenia." She said, her voice cracking a bit. Gardenia looked up at her, setting the box of cereal she was so focused on back on the counter. "How're you doing?" She said, "You weren't doing that well last night."

"No shit." Maylene snapped, "I found out my best friend has been sucking face with a guy I'm really into." Maylene sighed, looking into Gardenia's eyes. I didn't mean to snap…"I guess I'm over it, though. After really having a conversation with Brawly last night, I realized how much of an asshole he is. I was trying to ask him what really happen, and he was saying how Candice was all over him, and how she was begging for sex, and other crap like that. I didn't believe him; because I know Candice, and I know she wouldn't do stuff like that. I may be pissed at her, but I still know who to believe, and Brawly definitely isn't one of them."

"So, Brawly's off the list now?"

"Oh yeah. I don't care how much I like his smile, he's manipulative, and he's a liar. I just need to talk to Candice and get things settled; I don't like fighting with any of you guys. Where is Candice, anyway? She wasn't in her bed when I woke up." Maylene sighed, leaning on the counter next to Gardenia. "Can we order room service right quick? I don't feel like eating cereal and juice again."

Gardenia chuckled, "Yes, we can. I think Candice fell asleep on the couch, you should go wake her up so we can get food."

Maylene nodded, walking over to the back of the couch. Sure enough, there was Candice. Her face was pressed against the pillow, her breathing even & deep. Maylene shook her gently. "Candice?"

Candice rolled over, stretching her arms and yawning. She blinked slowly up at Maylene, smiling slightly. "Good morning."

Maylene smiled back weakly, "Morning. I wanted to talk to you right quick." Candice sat up, patting the couch cushion next to her. Maylene hoped over the back of the couch, landing gracefully next to her. She tangled her hands together in her lap, sighing softly. She looked back up at Candice, her beige eyes focused on her own. Maylene gulped. "I wanted to talk to you about last night." Candice sighed, looking down at the carpet. Maylene gently placed her hand on her friend's shoulder, "I'm not gonna yell at you, I just want you to listen.

"Last night wasn't a good night, to be honest. I was really mad, and I was hurt, and I was confused. I just didn't want to talk to you. So, I talked to Brawly and tried to get the full story. Honestly, the kid is full of _shit_. He made you look like the bad guy, and I know that isn't true. I don't want someone like Brawly to ruin our friendship, he is _not_ worth it."

Candice looked into her friend's fuchsia eyes, filled with sincerity and love. She smiled, pushing her bangs away from her face. "I'm so sorry, Maylene. I shouldn't have done that. I was caught up in the moment, he didn't give me a chance to object, and…I'm really sorry. Let's just forget he ever existed. Deal?"

Maylene smiled, quickly pulling Candice into a hug. "I love you…_Snowflake_." _Yeah, I have it all figured out._

Candice hugged back. "I love you, too, Maylene." She let go of the fighter, standing up and sighing. Maylene relaxed on the couch, pressing her back against the soft cushion. _Maybe I should tell them about the kiss…_ She thought briefly, almost immediately shaking her head.

"Now, to get some food and talk with Volkner…"

Maylene frowned, "Good luck. He didn't seem too happy at the party."

"I'm gonna need it. He was so pissed…not to mention really hurt."

Gardenia walked around the couch to join them, sitting on the arm of it. "I just called room service, we should be having a big meal shortly."

Maylene & Candice both hummed in response, Maylene's stomach growling angrily. Gardenia chuckled, "Of course _you're_ hungry, Maylene."

Maylene smiled, "When am I not?"

XXXX

After room service arrived, the girls ate and dressed, and headed down to the shops lined up next to each other, buying little trinkets and souvenirs. Maylene stocked up on bags of hard candies, and she even bought Steven a silky red tie with darker red and white stripes.

Maylene inhaled sharply suddenly.

_Steven. I haven't talked to him since…the…kiss…_ Maylene blushed almost immediately. She…she liked the kiss. A piece of her wanted him to do it again. She wanted it to be a usual thing.

I guess…I want Steven to be—

"Hey, gang."

Maylene looked up, clutching the bag that held Steven's tie between her hands. Flint smiled at her & Gardenia, throwing a dark glare at Candice. Volkner remained expressionless, watching Candice with a blank stare. Volkner was always extremely unreadable. Candice suddenly lunged for his wrist, pulling him away from the group and towards the beach. Flint shook his head, sighing heavily. "The guy's more distant than usual after last night." He said after the couple was out of earshot.

"What do you mean?" Gardenia asked.

"We got home from the party, he locked himself in the bathroom. I tried to talk to him, but when I finally busted the door down two hours later, he was just standing against the wall. Roark & I had to drag him out of there. After we got him out of the bathroom, I sat him down and demanded he talk to us."

"And did he talk?" Maylene spoke up.

Flint sighed again. "Of course not. He just said 'I'm going for a walk' and left. The bastard was gone for hours, we thought he…" Flint paused, taking another breath. "But we found him on the beach, the same one they're at right now. And…shit, he was _crying_."

Gardenia & Maylene both shared wide-eyed glances, turning back to Flint. _Oh man, he was really hurt…_

"I've never seen Volkner cry, nor did I ever _expect_ to; and I never expected him to cry over Candice. That proves he really loves her."

"He must've been hit the worst in this situation." Gardenia said softly, shaking her head. "Poor guy."

Maylene had forgotten about Volkner; he was the master at hiding his emotions. Of course she had the feeling that he was really affected by this…but…she didn't think he'd cry.

"How was he when he woke up?" Gardenia wondered.

"_A lot_ better. We found him at six in the morning, and when we got back to the room, he went right to bed. When Volkner gets upset, he'll get angry, he'll get depressed, and sleep it all off like hard liquor. He woke up…normal."

Candice returned to the group, her expression soft and her lips pursed. Flint looked over towards the beach. "I'll talk to you guys later." He said, jogging towards his friend.

"How'd it go?" Maylene asked as soon as Flint had left. Candice shrugged, "Let's not talk about it right now. Let's…shop."

Maylene & Gardenia shared another worried glance, but shrugged, and agreed.

* * *

And that's exactly what they did; they shopped. They went to the beach to swim, had their share of girl talks. While they were swimming, Maylene decided it was the right time to tell them about the kiss.

"…You WHAT?" Gardenia exclaimed. Maylene dunk her head deeper into the water, shutting her eyes and blushing. She felt two hands pull her back up by her hair, making her yelp in pain. Her two friends were staring at her with wide eyes, making her blush harder in embarrassment.

"When did this happen?" Gardenia exclaimed.

"Remember how I told you I'd meet you back in the hotel room after the party ended?"

"Yeah…"

"_That's_ when it happened."

Candice squealed. "I'm so happy for you! Steven is ten times better than that jerk Brawly." She spat out _Brawly_ with heavy disgust.

"Are you guys official?" Gardenia asked. Maylene shrugged, "I dunno. We just kissed and I went back to the hotel. I didn't get the chance to ask."

Just then, Maylene's stomach gurgled loudly. She blushed in embarrassment, hugging her stomach. She giggled, "I think it's time for lunch."

XXXX

The rest of the day was pretty fun. Maylene continued to hang out with Candice & Gardenia, going back and forth from the beach to the shops. Gardenia & Candice both bought Maylene Hariyama gloves. At first she thought it was a joke, but after a while she fell in love with them. Gardenia & herself got matching Latias and Latios headband, and they both bought Candice a cute little Snorunt jacket. They returned back to the hotel room with bags filled with souvenirs, and all of them extremely tired after such a long day—it was a fun, long day though.

"That was so much fun!" Maylene smiled, flopping on the couch. The bags were already dropped off in their room, along with their articles of clothing.

"Oh, man, so much. It was entertaining to see how pissed the vendors looked when they saw we kept coming back." Gardenia laughed. The other two agreed with a laugh.

Then, the door knocked suddenly. "I'll get it," Candice said, calming down from her laughing fit. She opened the door, caught off guard by a blond boy standing outside of the door.

"Who's there?" Gardenia asked, uncrossing her legs.

"…Volkner…" She murmured, suddenly being dragged out into the hallway.

Maylene bit her lip, looking at Gardenia. "…What do you think he wants?"

Gardenia sighed, "I have no clue, he's so unreadable."

"I hope they don't…" Maylene trailed off—she didn't want to say it.

"…Break up?" Gardenia finished her sentence for her. Maylene nodded slowly. "I'd hate to see such a good couple be split apart because of stupid Brawly."

The two were silent for a few moments.

"Wanna go check on them?" Gardenia asked. Maylene mutely nodded, the two getting up simultaneously and poking their heads out of the door. Maylene expected to see them arguing—Volkner with his hands in the air, Candice with her hands on her hips—but that's not what she saw.

They were kissing.

A grin exploded on her face. _They're not breaking up._

Maylene quickly latched onto Gardenia, both of them squealing and jumping up and down.

"Oh, shut up you guys." Candice called, burying her face into Volkner's chest. Maylene's grin softened, pulling Gardenia back into the room and shutting the door.

"Why'd you shut it?"

Maylene smiled gently, "Don't you think the couple should have their privacy?"

Gardenia smiled. "Welcome to the club, Maylene."

XXXX

So, Candice & Volkner were back together. The two decided to spend the rest of the evening together, while Gardenia went out with Roark for dinner.

That left Maylene alone…once again.

Well, technically not alone.

"You totally suck at this game." Maylene shot a smug look at the TV screen. She was currently in Steven's room, kicking his ass at Mortal Kombat, and listening to music. Steven was using Reptile this time, while Maylene stayed faithful to her favorite character, Sub-Zero.

"I don't suck, you just cheat." Steven snapped playfully, Reptile throwing a right hook at Sub-Zero. They both were nearing the end.

"I'm not gonna apologize for being good." Sub-Zero kicked Reptile one more time.

"_Finish Him!_"

"Goddamnit, not again." Steven groaned. Maylene smiled; she knew Steven hated watching her do fatalities to his characters over and over. She did the code she knew by heart, the screen behind the two characters blackening.

"Here it comes~" Maylene chimed. Sub-Zero froze Reptile's lower body, the ninja strutting over to the lizard. He grabbed him by the chest, detaching his upper body from the lower, and the cracking noise of bones filling the room. Sub-Zero held up the upper torso like a prize. "_Sub-Zero wins!_"

"That's the fifth time, Maylene." Steven groaned again. "Have mercy on the champion."

"…Mercy?" Maylene threw down her controller. "The champion is begging for mercy?" She lunged for the silver haired teen, pinning him to the ground. She grinned down at him, his wide-eyed look just priceless. Maylene let Steven's wrists go, letting him sit up and prop himself against the foot of the bed. His arms wrapped around Maylene, who was still sitting on his lap. She blushed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Is this your form of surrendering?"

Steven sighed, smiling at the fighter. "Yes it is. I don't think I can take more of Sub-Zero and his fatalities. I admit defeat."

"…So, technically, does this mean I beat the Hoenn League?"

"If that's how you see it." The champion quickly kissed her, his hands tracing patterns on her back, her hands running through his hair. The moment was absolutely perfect.

Just then, the song on Steven's playlist changed, a familiar song making Maylene break the kiss, giving Steven a look.

"…I know this song."

"It's the song we danced to." Steven mentioned softly. "It's kind of…like…our song now…right?"

Maylene smiled, the feeling of pure bliss washing over her. She decided to sing along.

'…**Stay with me, I know you and I belong like this together, baby…'**

"Is it weird that that's exactly how I feel right now?"

Maylene's face softened, genuinely touched by his words. She laid her head on his chest, curling up in his lap. His arms were still around her, making her feel safe, and warm. Maylene smiled to herself.

"I feel the same way."

* * *

**And there you go. The much anticipated Maylene & Steven action! Yay! :D**

**Oh, and theses are the songs I used (in order of appearance) ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: I don't own these songs.**

_**Stay With Me **_**by Breathe Electric,**

_**Dancing Queen **_**by ABBA,**

**_Digital Love _by Daft Punk,**

**and **_**Bass Down Low **_**by Dev.**

**A THIRD DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN MORTAL KOMBAT EITHER. But I love the game. My favorite character isn't Sub-Zero though. I love me some Cyrax. :D**

**Well, I hope you liked it. And don't be angry with me if I don't update that often. School starts in 2 weeks, and everything's hectic. Back to school shopping, and dress shopping for Homecoming in September! :)**

**I'll see you guys in a week or two.**

**Until next time! :DD**

**EDIT: Woah, there were a couple font mishaps. A lot of stuff was supposed to be italicized, I have no idea why that occurred. I fixed those, along with some space mistakes? Jeez, the original document didn't have that many mistakes. XD Everything's fixed though! Sorry!**


	7. Bonus Chapter 4: Matchmaker

**Hello, my wonderful readers! I'm sorry this took so long, but here it is! The final-and I mean it this time, FINAL-chapter of _Snowflake_!**

**I had too much fun with this chapter. The idea came to me randomly, because I had no idea what to do for this chapter.**

**Then it hit me.**

**What should I do with dear old _Cynthia_?**

**You'll have to read and find out. :D**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Oh, and current time: 5:09 AM. Seriously, _Snowflake_ made me an insomniac.**

**DISCLAIMER: I am TOTALLY Satoshi Tajiri. Except that I'm not. I DON'T OWN POKEMON! **

* * *

"Wake up…Maylene, wake up…"

Maylene's eyes slowly fluttered open, a pair of turquoise eyes looking down at her lovingly. She smiled, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. "Good morning." She said sleepily. Steven smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Morning." Maylene had spent the night in Steven's room, the pale sunshine of morning pouring over them. Steven was casually running his fingers through her hair, enjoying the pleasant silence.

"Do you know what today is?" Steven said softly, trying not to hurt the mood. Maylene narrowed her eyes in thought. _Wednesday, Thursday…_

"It's Friday." She said.

"Yeah…it's Friday."

Maylene lifted up her head, meeting his gaze. She smiled cautiously. "What's the big deal about Friday?"

"Friday…Well, tomorrow's the day you guys have to…leave." He said the last word quietly, like he didn't even want to say it. Maylene's face fell, biting the inside of her cheek. _Oh yeah. I forgot; good things have to come to an end._

"I don't wanna leave." Maylene replied softly, gazing at Steven's neck. She gently kissed the pale flesh. "I don't wanna leave _you_."

Steven slipped his index finger under her chin, bringing her face up to meet his. A strand of silver hair fell in front of his face as he smiled down at Maylene. He kissed her briefly, placing his fingertips on her cheek. "I don't want you to leave either. But even though you have to leave," Steven sat up, propping himself against the headboard. "That doesn't mean our relationship has to end."

"You're all the way out here, though…won't the distance make it kind of hard?" Maylene said. She definitely wanted to keep her relationship with Steven; but she was scared he would find someone else and…leave her. Steven sighed softly. "It won't be hard if you're willing to try."

Maylene rolled on her stomach and looked up at Steven, answering almost immediately, "Of course I'm willing to try. Having a relationship with you is one of the best decisions I've made. I don't wanna give that up so easily."

Steven smiled a bit wider, patting her head fondly. "Then I guess we'll try."

"Steven, are you—"

Maylene & Steven both looked up at the door, meeting eyes with a very surprised champion. Her pearly gray eyes flashed from Steven to Maylene, chuckling awkwardly. "Oh, um, I didn't know…you, um…"

"…Good morning, Cynthia." Maylene smiled sweetly, sitting up. Cynthia smiled back. "Um, good morning. Sleep well?"

"Quite well." Steven replied, wrapping an arm around Maylene's waist, the fighter automatically resting her head on his shoulder.

"Good. We have to start inspecting the ferry for departure tomorrow." Cynthia clasped her hands behind her back, looking down at the ground slightly, "And I thought, maybe you'd…want to get some breakfast with me." Cynthia blushed slightly, keeping her strong composure. "In a strictly professional manner."

Steven chuckled, "Sure. Give me some time." Cynthia nodded, shutting the door softly. Maylene's face was filled with shock, instead of that sweet smile she had before. "…I've never seen Cynthia like that."

"What? That's how she always is."

"What! She was totally acting like a schoolgirl!" Then, Maylene smirked. "She totally has a crush on you."

Steven snorted, "If she did have a crush on me, she would've dropped some hints."

Maylene groaned. _Why is my boyfriend so oblivious?_ "She was dropping hints like atomic bombs! It's so obvious." Maylene struggled out of the sheets, standing at the foot of the bed. She cleared her throat, wrapping her arms behind her back, digging her toe into the carpet as she swayed side to side awkwardly. "_I thought, maybe you'd want to get some breakfast with me…_" She was speaking in her best Cynthia impression. Her hands now attached to her hips as she shifted her weight to her left leg. "If that doesn't say 'I like you' than I don't know _what_ does."

"Maylene, you're thinking way too into this. C'mere." Steven patted the mattress, Maylene sitting down next to him, his arm returning around her waist. "Even if Cynthia did like me, which I still doubt," Maylene was ready to object, but he stopped her, "It wouldn't really matter, because I like you. I'm pretty sure she could tell." He smiled, kissing Maylene for all she's worth. Maylene smiled gently. "I still find it hard to believe that Cynthia has a _girly_ side."

"I'm telling you, that's how she always acts around me."

"You're such an idiot."

XXXX

After the couple sat in bed and talked for a little while longer, they cleaned up and got dressed for their last day together. They walked out of the hotel together at about nine, parting ways to eat breakfast with their respective groups. Maylene found Candice & Gardenia, while Steven went off to eat with Cynthia.

"I bet you had a fun night." Candice teased. Maylene scowled, "I did, but we didn't do anything. I did find out something strange, though…"

"What?"

"Cynthia has a crush on Steven."

Gardenia bursted into laughter, "What? Cynthia has affectionate emotions?" She calmed herself down. "Don't get me wrong, I love Cynthia, but that's hard to believe."

Candice nodded, "Right. She's always so serious."

"She was acting like a little schoolgirl!" Maylene exclaimed. The three girls walked into a small diner, quickly being seated and a male waiter taking their orders. Maylene continued the conversation. "She knocked on the door this morning, and asked Steven to eat breakfast with her. And…she _blushed_. Cynthia actually blushed."

Candice & Gardenia looked at her with blank expressions. Maylene nodded, sighing softly.

"Okay, I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that." Gardenia chuckled. "So tell us what you did last night with Steven~" She sang the last word. Maylene smirked. "We played video games and just…talked. It was really nice." She replied softly. She actually did enjoy herself; she found out a lot about Steven. "How about you guys?"

"Well, me & Roark had dinner, and we rented a movie. Thankfully, all the guys were out of his room, so we didn't have any interruptions."

"You went back to his room and made out, right?" Candice chimed in. Gardenia narrowed her eyes, blushing slightly. "…Okay, kind of. What about you, Candice?"

"Well, Volkner & I went to see a movie and had dinner, too. He pissed off a vendor, it was so embarrassing."

"What'd he do?" Gardenia asked.

"Let's just say he sucks at haggling."

Maylene giggled. She looked out the window next to their table, the sun fully raised, and the sky bright blue. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cynthia & Steven walking together. She frowned a bit—Steven was back in his usual work clothes. She actually enjoyed seeing him in his laid back attire, he looked…_cute_ in it. Steven said something to Cynthia, who nodded, and the male champion parted in a different direction. Maylene tried to look closely at Cynthia's face, yet she only managed to see her side profile. Cynthia had a smile on her face, folding her arms across her chest. Maylene smiled slightly, sort of excited to see Cynthia like this.

Just then, the waiter brought them their food, and flirted with Gardenia a bit before departing. Maylene turned back to the window—the champion was gone.

"Hey guys…" Maylene said slowly, sticking her fork into her scrambled eggs. Her two best friends gave her their attention.

"…What'd you say we play matchmaker on our dear Cynthia?"

XXXX

After some much needed convincing, the two other girls agreed to Maylene's suggestion. For now, they only established the first step of the plan, which Maylene had to enforce. So, after the girls ate, they split up. Candice wasn't needed for the first step, but Gardenia decided to help Maylene find Cynthia. The champion was sitting on a bench under an inactive streetlight, fondly licking an ice cream cone. Gardenia gave Maylene a pat on the back, sending her off on her own. Maylene took a deep breath, watching Cynthia carefully. Maylene knew the consequences if the plan failed—and its name was Garchomp.

"Hi, Cynthia~" Maylene smiled at her superior. Cynthia looked up, smiling back at her. "Hey, Maylene." She seemed a bit more laidback—figures, the last time Maylene had actually talked to her was that morning and the day they boarded the ferry. Of course anyone would be tense in those situations.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, if that's alright." Maylene took a seat beside Cynthia on the bench. Cynthia nodded, continuing to work on her ice cream cone. "Lay it on me."

"Well…I'm just gonna be honest with you. Do you like Steven?"

Cynthia's eyes widened slightly. "…Is it that obvious?" She said after a few moments of silence. Maylene giggled, "Well, this morning when you walked in, it did."

"I'm sorry, Maylene. I know you guys are dating now, and I don't know how to act around him, and—"

"Is that how you usually act around guys you like? Tense and professional?"

"Well, that's the thing. I haven't liked a guy in a really long time, and…I just don't know how to act." Cynthia chuckled in embarrassment. "That's a bit hard to admit."

Maylene placed a hand on Cynthia's shoulder, the blonde's gray eyes meeting hers. "Don't be embarrassed. You're a very busy person, it's understandable." She sighed softly, "Unfortunately, Steven is kind of…taken."

Cynthia shook her head, "I wasn't planning on pursuing him, don't worry! I knew he liked you…don't get the wrong idea."

"It's all good, Cynthia. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Maylene tilted her head a bit, trying to figure out how to word her question right. _Gah, fuck it, might as well just come out and say it. _"Is there anyone else you have a bit of a crush on?" Maylene was trying her hardest for the plan not to leak, but it was so hard.

Cynthia looked down at her ice cream cone, giving it a few more chaste licks.

"…Riley."

Maylene's eyebrows shot up, "You mean Candice's brother Riley? The one with the hat?"

Cynthia nodded, smiling to herself. "I haven't seen him in a few years, but we hung out before I became champion. It was one of those nights where Karen and myself would go to a party on Iron Island, and he would be there. It started out innocent, just playful flirting. But after that party, I…couldn't stop thinking about him. I didn't see him again until about three months later. He was walking through Celestic Town, he saw me, and…we just stayed with each other for the rest of the day. I never knew if he liked me, but I knew I definitely liked him. I didn't see him again after that day."

Maylene eyes brightened a bit. She knew she had to go through with the plan—it was time to rekindle Cynthia's forgotten romance.

"Why do you ask?" Cynthia said after a minute or two. Maylene met her gaze again. "No reason in particular. I was just…curious." Maylene sat up, her hands on her hips as she smiled down at the champion. "Tonight, meet by the pier closest to the beach. Be there around six." And with that, Maylene turned on her heels and left her boss, a reassuring feeling coursing through her.

"Phase One complete." She whispered to herself.

* * *

"My brother!" Candice exclaimed once Maylene was back in the room. The small living area of their hotel room consisted of Maylene, Candice, Gardenia, Steven, Volkner, Phoebe and Flint. Maylene had just filled them in on her mission, the group now thinking up another phase of the plan.

"Yup. Is there a way you can get a hold of him?" Maylene asked. Candice shrugged, "Hopefully. He spends most of his time cooped up in Iron Island, he rarely picks up his phone." She turned to Volkner, who was sitting next to her on the loveseat sofa. She tugged on his jacket sleeve. "Could you help me reach him?"

Volkner shrugged, "Fine."

"Okay, so you two have the job of contacting him." Maylene turned to Steven & Flint, who were sitting next to each other on the floor. "I told Cynthia to be at the pier closest to the beach around six tonight. I want Steven to talk to a captain of any ferry and schedule one for tonight. Flint, I want you and Gardenia to handle food and decorations. As for you Phoebe, you're gonna help me get Cynthia ready for tonight." The four nodded.

Maylene grinned. "Perfect. Operation Forgotten-Love is underway!"

The group stared at her in confusion. Maylene looked at them, "What? The plan needs a name."

"That one's kind of lame." Gardenia laughed. Maylene glared, "I wanna see you guys do better."

Everyone was silent.

_Shouldn't have said that._

"Operation Make-Cynthia-Happy?"

"That's even worse!"

"Operation Rekindle?"

"That's so cheesy."

"Operation Love-Doctor?"

"Only you, Flint…"

"Operation Hopefully-This-Works-So-Garchomp-Won't-Murder-Us."

Everyone's eyes turned to Volkner, who still had the same blank expression on his face as everyone busted out laughing.

"That's perfect, Volkner." Maylene said. Then, her face returned serious. "Alright, let's get to work."

XXXX

"C'mon, Cynthia, a little bit of shopping won't hurt!" Maylene said, dragging Cynthia by her left arm as Phoebe pulled her by the right.

"Why can't I just wear my normal clothes?" The champion protested. The two girls had told Cynthia that there would be a meeting between the champions tonight, that's why she had to be at the pier at six. Thankfully, she believed it, so all they had to do was find her a suitable dress for her 'meeting'.

"Because a change of wardrobe is good for anyone!" Phoebe said, shoving Cynthia into a nearby boutique. The two girls followed close behind, smirking at the champion's face as her eyes scanned over the large variety of dresses. Her lips were parted slightly, walking forward a little.

And just like that, she was already roaming around the store, admiring dresses and skirts and blouses with a smile on her face.

"Go help her, I'm gonna check on the others." Maylene said, Phoebe nodding and going off to find the blonde. Maylene unclipped a slick, black walkie-talkie from the waistband of her jeans, pressing a button on the side, a brief crackle sounding.

"Pink Puncher to Avalanche and Thunderbolt, come in."

Another crackle, "_Now you're giving us codenames?_" Volkner's voice came out muffled through the speaker. Maylene pressed the button again, "Just shut up and have fun with it. How's trying to reach Riley?" She tried to murmur the name in case Cynthia was close.

"_Candice—I mean, _Avalanche_, is on the phone with him right now. By the looks of it, he's coming_."

Maylene grinned, "Perfect. Over and out."

"_Shut the fu—_" Maylene clicked out before he could finish. She pushed the button again.

"Pink Puncher to White Rabbit."

"_That's the best you could come up with for me?_"Steven responded. Maylene rolled her eyes. _Why is everyone complaining?_ "Deal with it. Do we have the ferry for tonight?"

"_Yup, a romantic evening for two for about three hours. The captain told me we'd have to supply our own chefs and waiters, though, since this is such short notice._"

"Understandable. I'll do it, along with some others."

"_Alright…do I say 'Roger' or something?_"

"Over and out."

"_Kay, ditto._"

"Maylene!"

Maylene clipped the walkie-talkie back onto her waist, turning around to see Cynthia clutching three dresses. "I decided on these. Can you give me your opinion?"

Maylene smiled, "Of course. Let's go." She grabbed Cynthia's wrist and led her in the back to the dressing rooms. Phoebe & herself took a seat on a comfy bench right outside of her dressing room, making small conversation while she changed. Just then, Maylene's walkie-talkie crackled.

"_Mother Nature to Pink Puncher. We've hit a bit of a speed bump…_"

Maylene & Phoebe both gave each other worried glances. Maylene held up the walkie-talkie in between the both of them as she pushed the button to respond. "What do you mean 'speed bump'?"

"_Well, White Rabbit told me that the ferry is secure, so me & Flint started cooking. I leave Flint to man the stove while the Magikarps are cooking to go look for waiters. And I come back and…well…_"

"Gardenia, what happened?"

"…_He set the kitchen on fire._"

Maylene's eyes widened. Phoebe snatched the walkie-talkie from Maylene's hands. "What?"

"_It's out now, but we're still getting everything cleaned up and waiting for the delivery for more Magikarps to come._"

"Do you have an alternative?"

"_Not at the moment. It's too late to order some Corphish, we don't have the money or the time. Oh, wait a minute—Flint! Is that the—You're such an idiot! Hurry up and throw them in the frying pan or something! You think five hours is enough to cook all this food? I'm not the one who set the kitchen on fire! Okay, no—Ugh! Fine! Whatever! Everything's been worked out, Maylene, Phoebe. If the food poisons them, blame Hot Head._"

"_Hey! It was an accident!_"

"_You're so useless! Over and out._"

Maylene sighed heavily. "This is harder than I thought."

"Well, at least our job's easy." Phoebe smiled.

"Okay guys, what do you think of this one?"

Cynthia stepped out of the dressing room in a royal blue strapless dress that stopped at her knees, silver glitter going across the upper part of the dress. She twirled quickly, smiling at the mirror in front of her.

"I love that one." Maylene answered honestly. It did look great on Cynthia, and she looked happy and confident. "That does look really pretty on you, Cynthia." Phoebe said. Cynthia smiled at them both, "I like this one, too. But I wanna try on one more."

"Take your time." Maylene & Phoebe said in unison, Cynthia ducking back into the dressing room. Maylene whipped out the walkie-talkie again. Phoebe raised an eyebrow, "You already checked on everybody, what else needs to be done?"

"You'll see." Maylene pressed the button on the side, the crackle of approval sounding.

"This is Pink Puncher to everyone; if your task is completed, migrate back to our hotel room. Mother Nature & Hot Head need all the help they can get."

"_No! We're doing fine!_"

"_Shut up, Flint, we need assistance!_"

"_Avalanche & Thunderbolt are coming. Standby._"

"_Volkner won't be any help. He'll just glare at the food until it decides to cook itself…_"

"_Thunderbolt asking permission to assault Hot Head._"

"Granted."

"_Maylene!_"

"_White Rabbit on the way._"

"_We were doing fine on our own, Gardenia._"

"_That's the biggest lie I've ever heard._"

Cynthia stepped out of the dressing room, cradling the blue dress in her arms. "I decided to get this one."

"Great, I'll walk with you to the register." Phoebe chirped, taking Cynthia's arm and skipping towards the register. Maylene sighed contently, bringing the walkie-talkie back to her lips.

"The Queen has picked her outfit. Pink Puncher & Ghost Rider will be back up in ten minutes. Hot Head better get a running start before I get there, or there will be hell to pay…"

"_This is Mother Nature. Hot Head has left the building._"

* * *

Everything was going better than expected. Once Maylene & Phoebe had returned to the room, sending everyone off to continue doing different jobs. Maylene had told Candice to go recruit more people to be waiters, and sent Flint & Gardenia to start decorating the ferry for the date. Along with Flint & Gardenia, she sent Phoebe & Steven for supervision.

And at the moment, Maylene was tossing salad.

Literally.

Maylene & Volkner were in the kitchen, watching soup simmer and fish frying in silence. She didn't mind the silence—it meant she could focus more on cooking the food as fast as possible, but still keeping it edible.

"What's for dessert?" Volkner asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Maylene ripped a piece of aluminum foil, covering the bowl of salad. "Devil's Food cake." She replied.

"I'll handle that."

Maylene blinked, turning around. _What _did he just say?

"…Excuse me?"

Volkner looked over his shoulder, "I said I'd handle that. Cake is my specialty, ask Candice."

"I had no idea you cook."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Maylene." He said, opening up cabinets and cupboards for the supplies needed to make the dessert. Silence fell over the room again, Maylene focused on the Magikarp frying, and Volkner cracking eggs and other ingredients for the cake.

"Hey, Volkner," Maylene piped up, still looking at the fish.

"Hm?"

"I…was wondering. About the thing you said at the lake a few days ago." She didn't have the chance to ask him earlier, and now was the perfect time.

"What about it?"

"…Have you ever opened up like that to anyone before?" She was genuinely curious. Volkner was silent, the sound of milk pouring stopping. "…Not really." He said softly. "I only did because…Well, Flint always pesters me to open up. And…you're a good listener. I guess…I only did it because you were there."

Maylene's cheeks colored lightly, flattered by Volkner's compliment. It was completely unexpected—the one time she had a conversation with Volkner, the two were a bit tipsy, so he opened up a lot. He told her about his abusive dad, which is something that probably _Candice_ didn't even know. But still…it was nice to hear. She picked up her walkie-talkie on the counter, pressing the button, the static chiming.

"Pink Puncher to Avalanche."

"_Hey, Maylene._"

"Did you find anymore waiters?"

"_Yeah, Winona & Roxanne said they could help._"

"Awesome. Send them up to take some food to the ferry."

"_Roger._"

"Did you think your plan would be this successful?" Volkner asked slowly, the sound of his whisk becoming more even paced. Maylene watched the fish crackle on the pan. "Not really. I knew it would be unorganized…but it surprised me that Cynthia stayed oblivious to it. I'm nervous that it'll be awkward for her, though."

"Well, of course it'll be awkward, they haven't spoken in years. You can't expect them to dive into conversation and fall in love without a bit of awkwardness."

Maylene smiled, slapping the two fish on a plastic plate. "It can't hurt to try, right?"

XXXX

5:57 pm.

Everything was falling neatly into place—the food was in the kitchen being prepared to serve, the ferry was decorated beautifully, the moon was full, and everyone had done their jobs to the best of their abilities—

But Riley wasn't here.

Maylene paced back and forth in the lobby, now dressed in a fitted white shirt with a black vest and a black skirt that fell just above her knees, clutching her walkie-talkie tightly in one hand.

Where is he? He's the main piece of this puzzle. He said he would come. He said—

"Maylene, you okay?"

Maylene looked up, a silver haired boy smiling gently at her. Maylene met his gaze, smiling weakly. "Yeah, I'm good."

"No you're not."

Maylene winced. _Damn, he's good._

"I know when you're lying." Steven walked up to the fighter, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. Maylene sighed, burying her face into his chest.

"Now tell me what's wrong."

"…Riley isn't here yet. Cynthia is going to be here any minute, and there's no way this plan is failing because this guy is too _cool_ to show up."

"He'll come, don't worry. He _is_ Candice's brother after all."

"Which gives me less reason to trust him."

Steven sighed, hugging her closer. "Just relax. Hey, if he doesn't show up, might as well have a nice dinner with your boss."

"Or I could throw it at you."

Maylene lifted her head up, glaring at her boyfriend, and just by looking into her eyes he could see the stress ripping through them. Steven chuckled nervously, kissing her lips briefly and letting go of her. "I…better get out of here." He didn't want to be in the way of his girlfriend's stress-induced rage. He turned around to leave, but stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of a beautiful blonde woman walking up the ramp of the ferry and stopping right in front of him. She wore the royal blue dress with silver heels, her platinum blonde hair falling gracefully past her rear. She…looked stunning.

Maylene smiled brightly, "Good evening, Cynthia."

Cynthia snorted, "Don't be so formal. Around the other champions, I'm just one of the guys." Her eyes wandered towards the other champion gawking at her. She chuckled nervously, "So, where are the guys anyway?"

"Um, they should be on their way." Maylene stepped forward, raising her leg and stomping on Steven's foot. He yelped in pain, glaring at his girlfriend as he returned back into reality. He turned back to look at Cynthia, smiling weakly, "You look great, Cynthia."

"Oh…um, thanks!" Maylene could see a tinge of color on her face.

"God, you would be late! This is why _I'm_ the favorite!"

Three heads turned to the direction of the voice, which was from the opening of the ferry. Maylene's eyes widened. _He came_.

"Um, come on, Cynthia, I'll take you to where the meeting will be held!" Steven spoke quickly, grabbing the champion by her wrist and dragging her down a nearby hallway towards the deck of the ship. Maylene sighed. _That was close._

"How are you the favorite when you don't even come home?"

Candice was now in the ferry, hands on her hips and her brows furrowed. "I _am_ home. _You_, on the other hand, are more drawn to rocks and metal than your own family!"

A man dressed in a blue suit jacket and black slacks, a pointed blue hat tipped over the right side of his face over his raven hair, a blue eye glaring down at his baby sister.

Maylene's eyebrows rose slightly. It had been a while since she had seen Riley, but the fighting between him & Candice was the same as always.

"I'm there for research, okay? Don't act like you know my life."

Candice snorted, "Research? You spend hours on a deserted island with your Lucario. You really don't have any friends, do you?"

"Why you—"

"Guys!" Maylene piped up, the siblings looking back at her.

"Oh, hi Maylene." Riley said casually.

She rolled her eyes, "Do you really have to do this now?"

Riley looked at her with a blank expression. "Where's this sick Pokémon Candice was telling me about? Or was that a lie…" He threw a glare at his sister, "This brat can't be trusted."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Now, do you wanna help the sick Pokémon or not?"

"Of course I do."

"Then shut up and follow me." Maylene grabbed Riley's arm and led him down the same hallway that Steven led Cynthia down. There was a steel door blocking their path, Maylene threw the door open, shoving the man through it onto the main deck, where Cynthia sat at a rounded table near the tip of the deck, staring out at the ocean. The ferry began to rock, gently sliding away from port. Cynthia turned around, her eyes widening. Riley stopped, staring at the blonde woman sitting at the table.

"…Where's the…"

"…The Champions…?"

Maylene stepped forward. "Surprise." She gave Riley another shove towards the table.

"I…kind of lied to you. There isn't a meeting between champions, nor is there a sick Pokémon." Maylene took a breath.

"I want you to have a chance at love. I want you to be happy. Unfortunately, I couldn't set you up with Steven. Then you told me about Riley…"

Cynthia looked at Riley as his name was spoken.

"…And thought that you deserve a second chance."

The two were silently staring at each other, unaware of what to say. Then, Riley smirked.

"I missed you, Cynthia."

Cynthia blushed, looking down at her lap. Maylene smiled softly, "Your appetizers will be out shortly."

"Appetizers…?"

Maylene smiled brightly at her boss, "This is a romantic dinner for two. You have to have appetizers!"

XXXX

The dinner went a lot better than Maylene planned. Whenever Maylene or any of the other three servers would go out with food, the two were deep in conversation. The twinkle in Cynthia's eyes proved that she was very happy to see Riley, which calmed Maylene's nerves. When Maylene had brought out dessert, the two had gone off to look out at the sea as it rocked back to the port. She decided not to bother them, and left the cake out for them when they were ready. The ferry returned to Slateport at about nine in the evening. The couple had walked off the ferry, sharing a loving goodnight kiss. Maylene could hear Riley promising to call her when he got back to Iron Island. She grinned. _The date went perfectly!_

"So, mission accomplished?" Steven asked once everyone was off the ship. Candice, Roxanne, Phoebe & Gardenia were walking towards the hotel, Maylene standing in front of the ferry's ramp, staring up into the night sky. Steven hugged her from behind, nuzzling his cheek against hers.

"Yeah. Mission accomplished." Maylene smiled, "I wonder how things will be once we get back home."

Her breath caught softly. Home. She was leaving tomorrow. The thought had slipped her mind.

_I have to leave Steven._

The two were quiet, just looking at the stars, enjoying each other's company. They didn't want to separate from each other.

"Did you wanna stay the night with me again?" Steven asked softly. Maylene nodded mutely, Steven releasing her from his embrace and tangling his fingers with hers. They walked back to the hotel in silence, Maylene squeezing Steven's hand in the process.

That night, Maylene could barely sleep. She was too anxious to sleep. Steven, on the other hand, was out cold, hugging her tightly. She looked at Steven's sleeping face; strands of silver hair were splayed across his forehead, over his closed eyes. His lips were slightly parted, breathing deep and even. He really was a gorgeous boy. Maylene smiled at the sleeping form of Steven, pushing strands of hair away from his face. She kissed his forehead gently, causing him to stir slightly. Maylene stroked his hair a bit longer, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. She sighed.

"Don't forget about me." She said softly, closing her eyes slowly. She was more exhausted than she thought. Half unconscious, she uttered another word before falling into a deep sleep, curled up next to Steven.

"Please."

* * *

Morning had arrived. The ferry for departure was docked outside, and everyone was outside, sputtering goodbyes and giving one another hugs. Phoebe was latching onto Gardenia like a spider monkey, Candice was hugging Glacia, and Flint was groping Flannery. Everyone was bummed about leaving Hoenn; it was plenty of fun being there. Maylene was currently leaning against a tree with her arms draped around Steven's neck, his hands on her waist. Maylene sighed. "I hate how we didn't get to spend enough time together."

"But I loved being with you for the time we did have."

"It was all thanks to you giving me a concussion!"

Steven frowned, "I said I was sorry."

"You're forgiven. Now shut up and kiss me." Steven did as he was told, pulling Maylene into a heated kiss. _I think I'll miss this the most._

"You're gonna come visit me, right?" Maylene asked, looking up at him with big eyes—the same eyes she used on Brawly. But the guy she was looking at was worth her look. Steven chuckled gently, "I promise. I dunno exactly when, but I'll be there. Don't worry."

Maylene grinned, "Good." She leaned in for another kiss, but was interrupted by someone yelling at her.

"Maylene, let's go!" Candice shouted from the ramp. Her & Volkner were hand in hand, smiling at her. Maylene rolled her eyes, shaking her head and pulling Steven into another kiss.

"You're gonna ignore your best friend?" Steven teased. Maylene snorted, "You're my main priority right now."

"Aw, shucks."

"Alright everyone, the ferry is packed!" Cynthia called. "All aboard!" Maylene looked back at Steven, their eyes locking. She kissed him briefly, "I'll call you when I'm home?"

"That works." He squeezed her tightly, the fighter squeezing him back. She didn't think it would be that hard to part from him. The two let up on their embrace, Maylene taking a deep breath and walking towards the ramp of the ferry.

"Bye, Maylene." Steven called. Maylene waved, not turning around—if she turned around, she'd have to run for another hug. She was on the ferry, walking towards the hallway where Gardenia was headed, until someone grabbed her wrist. She whipped her head around, wondering who was assaulting her and why they would throw away their life like that.

But the person who grabbed her wasn't an attacker.

It was Cynthia.

"I wanted to thank you for last night." Cynthia said, her voice low. "Thanks to you, I'm…with Riley now. I would've never thought that we'd be together. So again, thanks. I'm…I'm really happy."

Maylene grinned, genuinely touched by her words. "It was my pleasure. I hope you two work out~"

"Same to you & Steven." And with that, Cynthia let go of her wrist, sending her a soft smile as she walked down a different hallway.

Well, the trip to Hoenn was quite successful. She made a couple of friends, she met a nice guy—not to mention a bad one—and learned that friendships overcome anything. A bit cheesy, yes, but still. It was a moral she didn't mind learning. She did almost lose Candice in the process, but she would make sure their relationship remained strong.

And maybe, she could hold Snowflake against her.

A good thing to bring up when the guilt trip comes in handy, right?

* * *

**XxXxX Epilogue, 5 months later XxXxX**

* * *

"You are quite the battler! You have such amazing strength that can get you very far down the road to the Sinnoh League. I present you the Cobble Badge!"

"Ah! Thank you so much, Maylene!"

"Oh, don't thank me, you earned it!"

The challenger pinned their newly obtained badge to her sweater, patting her Gallade fondly. The two shared a goodbye, leaving the Veilstone City gym. Maylene sighed, looking down at her Lucario.

"Think you've had enough for today?" She asked. Lucario nodded, sighing heavily. She smiled, "Okay. I'll take you to the Pokémon Center in a little bit. For now, return." And back into the PokéBall Lucario went.

Veilstone was sweltering this time of year. The sun was high and blazing orange, beating down on the cranky and sweaty citizens. Maylene remained cooped up in her gym—sweet, sweet, air conditioning—to beat the heat. She walked over to her gym door, ready to lock it from the inside—until she saw a familiar face. A grin popped on her face as she swung the door open and threw her arms around the visitor.

"I thought you weren't coming for another week!"

"Well, I decided to come sooner. I wanted to see your face."

Maylene released the person from her tight hug, getting on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "How'd it go?"

"It went fine, surprisingly. The Radio Tower in Goldenrod is as good as new."

"That's great! To think that stupid Team Rocket was causing the malfunction."

"Pff. They probably did it by accident and claimed it was part of their plan."

"Bunch of morons…I missed you."

"I missed you too. Anything new happen while I was gone?"

Maylene shrugged, the visitor's hands circling her hips. "Nothing new. The weather has been downright bipolar—it rains one day, it's hot the next, it's dry the next week, I can't handle Sinnoh weather! Oh, and Candice still isn't talking to me."

He sighed. "Really? Still? I thought she was over it by now."

Maylene shrugged, "I understand her, I guess. I still feel bad."

"It wasn't working out anyway. I'm with you now." He kissed her briefly. Maylene smiled, "I guess you're right, Volkner."

* * *

**Betcha didn't see that one coming!**

**Okay, maybe you kind of did. I foreshadowed it a bit in the beginning.**

**Now I bet you're wondering.**

**How the _fuck_ did _those two_ end up together?**

**Well, I'll tell you how.**

**There's gonna be a sequel to _Snowflake!_ The story will follow Maylene, and what happened during that 5 months. What happened to her and Steven? Volkner and Candice?**

**Get ready for drama!**

**Get ready for angst!**

**Get ready for heart breaks, hookups, and Whitney!**

**Get ready for _Listen_! Coming soon in Late October~**

**(When I advertise upcoming stories on story documents, I usually never pull through. But I promise you I will! Because I'm excited for this idea~)**

**I had to give our favorite champion Cynthia a chance at love. Who better to pair her up with than Riley? Riley's a hottie. Yum.**

**Yeah I gave them codenames. Don't judge me, I told you I had fun with it.**

**It hurt me to break up Maylene & Steven, but I had to set it up for the sequel! I'm not a big fan of Volkner x Maylene, but hey, I don't hate it. I mean, I can kind of see it! **

**I actually like the ending. Hope you guys did too! (P.S. Volkner x Maylene is also called Firecrackershipping. Fun fact~)**

**Long A/N is long, I'm sorry.**

**I start school tomorrow fsjkfis oh gosh I'm excited.**

**:D**

**ALRIGHTY THEN~**

**THANKS FOR READING/REVIEWING!**

**BYE~**


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